New Mobius
by rozene81
Summary: Numerous years after the defeat of Robotnik, an era of peace is known to the Mobians. This era ends suddenly with a dark prophecy. Tails, along with a select few others, must rise up once again; wielding new powers, they fight against a threat of an unimaginable scale. Will Mobius ever know peace again?
1. Chapter 1

Written by Terry "Rozene" P. The co-author of Mobian Legends. This is a revision of the story done strictly by Rozene who, along with RingtailedFox's help, envisioned most of the world of Mobius slightly over 10 years ahead of the end SatAM. This story also uses some characters from the Archie comic series Sonic the Hedgehog, but with many unique aspects. Enjoy.

 **Part 1**

Much has changed on Mobius since the defeat of its past adversaries. Peace has reigned for over 10 years. Our heroes have grown up and taken their place in the newly formed societies, the greatest and foremost being the restored Kingdom of Acorn. With the Ex-King Maximillion Acorn having recently stepped down the throne with a new, unlikely king taking his place. The new king with only one name, Sonic is now married to his major crush, now Queen Sally Acorn. Only in their first year of ruling, the blue hedgehog has matured greatly over the passing years and handles his responsibilities with a groan here and there, but they get done.

Meanwhile, his major sidekick Tails has not been seen for months. Now a young adult himself, he has spent most of his life doing the usual technical tinkering and inventing alongside his now very good friend, Rotor. He has always felt, however, that something more was calling him. He had begun to feel deeply that there was more he was supposed to be doing than turning wrenches and working on primitive computer systems. He is now on a spiritual journey on the continent in Downunda. The twin-tailed fox has explored this vast territory of this area and for the most part, it has been as he expected. Beautiful, dangerous but somewhat underwhelming. It was then that he discovered ancient ruins that seemed to give a strange beckoning call to him. He was hesitant but he responded, walking into the ruins... only to reemerge a day later with a new calling and a new follower.

This was an elderly fox with silvery fur and multiple tails, like Tails, but much more in number. This old fox was a catalyst for major change in the younger fox, having awakened his true potential. Little did Tails know that he was not the only one. The old man taught Tails a great deal about a hidden civilization that Tails had unwittingly stumbled upon, one that is many millennia in age... preceding even humanity.

It was then that the younger learned of an equally ancient, great evil... the very one which caused the downfall of the overlanders over a thousand years prior to the Mobians existence. He was warned that there would be great strife coming in the Mobian's future, the return of an old nemesis, as well new, powerful ones. The likes of ones that not even the Mobians themselves could not handle... at least, not yet.

With this new knowledge and ability, he finally returns to the Acorn Kingdom. It is here that the story truly begins.

In the throne room of Acorn Palace sits the king and queen in typical regal apparel while Tails and his mysterious new friend, Genra, stands by them as they discuss the things they've learned.

"So, you're telling me that there's going to be more bad guys surfacing in Mobius and they're going to be even worse than Robotnik?" Sonic asks.

"I know it's difficult to understand, considering the terrible things your kind has lived through in the past, but I know it is true," Genra adds.

"And just how do you know this?" Sally asks in return.

"I've seen it in my visions." The old fox replies.

The hedgehog scoffs. "Oh, come on. You bothered to bring this to my attention right now and we're just going on some kooks visions of the future!?" Sonic replies in dismay.

The twin-tail immediately speaks up. "This man is not like everyone else! His visions can't be dismissed so easily, he has true insider information on a great many of things!"

"Just do you mean, Tails?" The king replies

"I've seen things that you would never believe. There's an entire dimension of highly evolved beings that exist the world over right here on Mobius! They've been around, silently watching since before even the overlanders." Tails adds emphatically.

"Is this true, Genra?" Sally asks in shock.

"He is correct, we are an ancient race that has peacefully co-existed silently among your kind, separated from you by a dimensional rift." The old fox replies.

"So, why are you showing yourself now?" Sonic asks, being a bit more drawn in at this point.

"Because of these visions, Sonic. His visions are over 90% accurate when he says the danger is coming, we need to listen." Tails replies.

"So what, more danger is coming? We've been through the very depths of Hell between Robotnik and Nagus, there's nothing more that could possibly any worse." King Sonic adds.

"I am afraid that's simply not true. The catastrophe brought upon you by these terrorists are actually insignificant in the great scheme of the universe. It seems horrifying to you because you were just barely able to fend yourselves from them, but ultimately, you were. Even our kind had called councils over the travesties that were occurring in your dimension, bringing proposals of intervening; but we were faithful that you were not in over your heads." Genra replies quickly before continuing. "However, these visions I have... they are on an entirely different level. Your race and our planet itself are in mortal danger based upon the dangers I have seen."

Sonic and Sally look at each other in bewilderment for a moment before Sally continues.

"...And what would you have us do against these great threats?" She asks.

"Simple, have faith in us and in my decision to aid your kind in these perilous times. For you see, the answer to these great threats is already being created. There is several amongst your kind that has great potential, enough that with a special unlocking technique my kind has that can allow these individuals to defend the planet against these new terrors." The many-tailed one replies.

"Let me guess, I'm one of them," Sonic adds with a hint of playfulness.

"I'm afraid not, I have been sensing all of your energies the entire time I have been here. It seems you, your majesty is already near your prime. Your mate, however, still has untapped potential. But, most importantly, your friend here." The elder motions to his side, where Tails stands. "Is among the very strongest amongst your kind."

"Tails, you? Don't get me wrong buddy, you were a great help during the war, but you were more of a liability than an asset. If it weren't for Sal and me, I don't think we would have survived the..." Sonic is suddenly cut short by a nudging elbow from Sally.

"What he MEANS to say is that Tails was a part of our resistance, a member of the team. He's never had to be a leader." Sally says apologetically.

Tails just looks down for a moment, silent as he contemplates the past and remembering how true it was that he was just the sidekick in the old days.

Genra senses his negative thoughts and puts a hand on his shoulder. "I disagree, perhaps a display of his true potential will persuade them. Young one, show them a little of what you learned in your time in the other dimension."

Tails looks around at all the ornate decoration of the throne room. "In here? I'm afraid I might break something."

Sonics ponders a moment .oO("What could he possibly do that would destroy anything when he's standing in the middle of the room?")

Sally nods and stands up. "All right, let's take this outside then."

The four then head down the stairs and outside into the courtyard. Sonic and Sally set off to the side as Tails and Genra step out into the middle.

"Don't hold back young one, show them why you're among the chosen ones," Genra says to the young fox before walking back off the opposite side of the courtyard from the royalty.

Tails nods to the elder and ponders what he must do for a silent moment, before stepping out in front of some old training dummies. He then strikes a stance and begins to focus.

"I remember that pose, that's the one Bunnie taught him," Sally adds quietly.

Suddenly waves of translucent energies begin to ripple outward from him, forming an elliptical pattern around his body. It swirls around as if being powered by an invisible wind. It's at this point the others begin to feel a strange pressure against them.

"I haven't felt this pressure, since back then..." Sonic says as he stares in awe.

"When we used the deep power stones," Sally adds, looking to him with a nod.

The pressure keeps building in the area, causing those within nearly a mile of the palace to stop and look in the direction of the strange force, causing a psychological cue in them, even though they can't actually see what's going on.

Tails tenses up and then after a brief pause, launching out after the training dummy. His moves happening in a blink of an eye as he lands 10 punches along the training dummy in various places, effectively tearing it from the post and knocking a great deal of stuffing from it, which falls within a few feet in all directions just before the rest of it is knocked back several feet from its initial position. Just as the wave of surprise hits Sally and Sonic, Tails adds one more thing to the mix, throwing in a large roundhouse kick with his leg, nearly glowing with the power, as it sweeps the air, causing a roaring force around him, the result furiously breaking the other two nearby dummies from their mounts despite not actually being hit by the kick.

While one of the dummies flies in mid air, Tails gives one last gesture. Holding up a paw sideways and upright as it does literally begin to glow with this strange energy. He brings it down and in an equally rapid gesture, the mid-air dummy then cracks, literally breaking in two before both pieces as it is hit by the mysterious energy, inevitably fall to the ground. He then pauses, returning back to his more casual pose, letting the strange energy die down.

"I... what happened? I could barely even see him move..." Sonic says in great surprise over the spectacle.

Sally is equal in surprise. "Bunnie certainly couldn't have taught him THAT. If that can't beat a threat, I don't know what can." Obviously having seen more than Sonic in that brief instance.

Tails then silently moves over in the direction of the pair, with his older companion following a safe distance behind. He bows before them from the waist and offers a grin.

"That was really something, Tails..." Sally claps for a moment.

"Does... does this mean he's officially faster than me?" Sonic says with a look of bewilderment before reacting with folded arms. "Naw, it can't be." He says with a shake of his head.

The old fox gives a like chuckle as he moves over to the grouping as well. "Faster, no... Better reflexes, definitely." He adds softly.

"You were able to enable Tails to do this? Just what are you?" Sally asks frankly.

"That is a difficult question to answer. Your kind does not have an appropriate term for our race. However, once upon a time the overlanders did give a few of our more devious strays a name. They simply called us foxes, more specifically, used the term 'kitsune'." The many-tailed elder explains.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

A day passes after the meeting of old friends and the display in the courtyard. Tails wakes up early and gets dressed, having slept in a guest room in the palace before walking out of the large structure and out to the street in front of it. He walks down the street idly, thinking about the events of the day prior and all that was said. A moment of pause comes over him and he looks around, realizing that Genra is nowhere around. He disregards the feeling, knowing the kitsune likely has a reason to be elsewhere.

The twin-tail walks down the street to Sonic's favorite cafe and walks up to a table to take a seat before seeing none other than the king himself sitting at an empty table, only two fancy-dressed bodyguards standing by.

Sonic turns to see him and waves to him. "Over here, buddy!"

Tails nods and walks over to the table, taking a seat next to him. "What's your majesty doing out this early in the day?"

"Don't be ridiculous, gourmet food is nice and all but you know well that it'll never take a chili dog's place in my heart," Sonic says with a playful gesture. "And forget the royal stuff, I'm just your old pal, Sonic, to you."

Tails chuckled lightly. "Still the same old Sonic." He replies.

"Nothing's ever gonna change that." The blue one gives a hearty laugh, but the moment is cut short as Sonic remembers something. "Say, pal... the kingdom's in a bit of a pickle."

Tails glances over to Sonic with a bit of concern as the demeanor suddenly changes. "Huh? What is it, Sonic?"

The hedgehog clears his throat before continuing. "Well, as you know, having this new title leaves me with a bunch of new responsibilities... and there's a problem that's been looming over Mobotropolis for awhile. I'd love to handle it myself, but, you know, I'm not supposed to leave the palace for anything dangerous." He explains with a brief "gag" gesture in his mouth.

"What is it, maybe I can help," Tails says.

"Well, I hate to put it on you... but considering what I saw yesterday it's safe to say my lil' bro can handle himself. So my problem is this; there's a wave of this new drug coming over the people. It's highly addictive and very expensive." He pauses for a moment to take a drink from his shake before continuing. "Our secret service has found out that it's all coming from this guy named 'Mammoth Mogul'. I guess this guy's supposed to have more wealth than even the royal treasury. To boot, this guy's been known to pay to have everything from extortion to murder committed to those he considers a threat to his 'business'."

Tails just shakes his head. "That is horrible, why haven't your people done anything about it?"

Sonic sighs and replies. "That's because they keep disappearing every time we send them there. I can only assume that he's buying them off.. or worse. The last one we sent was Geoffrey himself, and as much as I can't stand the guy, if they can keep him from coming back... we're in serious trouble; and it's been over two weeks since we last heard from him."

Tails bows his head for a moment. "I see. Geoffrey, that's that skunk that fought you back in the day for Sally's hand, just to be used as a tool by the wizard Ixis Naugus. I had heard he'd come back to serve the crown, even though he still harbored a grudge toward you."

Sonic kicks back in this chair, folding his arms behind his head with a look of worry on his face. "Yes, that's the stinker. He was promoted to head of the secret service before I took the crown. Now I'm afraid that, he too, may be up to no good."

Tails stands up quickly, bumping the table as he stands. "I'll find out what's going on. Mammoth can't buy me and if Geoffrey is up to something devious I'll bring him back to justice."

Sonic grins. "That's my old buddy... but uh, you should probably take someone with you. I know you're a tough guy now and all, but sending you into a den of villainy by yourself isn't a good move."

Tails nods. "I see your point... who will you send me?" He says, looking toward the horizon thoughtfully.

"Well, ol' Bunnie's still looking for some tail to kick. She's settled down now with Antoine but she's been keeping herself in good shape should the need for her help come again." Sonic says, taking another drink of his shake. "She's coming to Mobotropolis today when she heard you were here, she insisted on it."

"Great! I can't wait to see her again... it'll be almost like old times again." Tails sways his tails excitedly.

"Uh, Tails... there's one more thing you should know. Right before our communication with the old stinker stopped, he reported having seen a fox like you do some incredible things there. You be careful, okay buddy?"

Tails nods and ponders a moment, could this mysterious fox be a kitsune, or maybe one of the other hybrids. He grins and clinches his fists. "A formidable foe... for some reason, I can't help but feel... all fired up. I finally get to test my strength!"

Sonic looks to the twin-tailed fox suspiciously. "Woah, take it easy, pal! I know you're eager to meet someone like you, but don't do anything I wouldn't do... errr, maybe that isn't the best advice, heh heh."

Tails nods and sits back down, taking a deep breath. "Sorry, I've just been feeling held back lately. It feels like I'm not using my true strength, Genra spars with me but it just a play fight, he's taught me a lot but I really have yet to test against someone who fights for real."

Sonic grins and looks over at the crowd, noticing a tall lady rabbit, wearing a cowboy hat. "Ah, look who's here."

The twin-tailed fox quickly finds himself standing again and runs over to the edge of the outdoor diner, seeing the rabbit with his own eyes and easily recognizing her.

"Bunnie! It's you!" Tails exclaims, rushing over to give her a hug which is eagerly returned. The two giving a quick embrace to each other.

"It's great ta finally see you!" The female states, holding him for a moment before ultimately letting go.

"Likewise, it's been a long time." Tails states.

"Whew, ya'll lookin' good, sugah." Bunnies states, taking a quick glance over the now very grown fox. "You must'a been working yourself over pretty good."

"You wouldn't believe what's happened to me recently, we'll have to talk about it soon." The twin-tailed one says, swaying his tails happily.

"Yes, I've heard ya'll been traveling... but we dun have time ta talk here. The plane's awaiting us." She says before giving a wave in Sonic's direction before turning and starting to walk away.

"Goodbye, Tails, Bunnie! You guys better be careful!" The king says with a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Don't worry, Sonic. I won't do anything you wouldn't do." He says back to him, giving a playful wink before running off after Bunnie. Silently unable but help to wonder what Genra is up to, having not seen him since yesterday.

The two board a small plane and take their seat. "I wonder why he just didn't have us take the Winged Victory. It would've been simpler." Tails wonders aloud. "Certainly he doesn't think... that we're not going to be coming back."

"Dun worry yourself, sugah fox. I'm sure mister king has everything all planned out." Bunnie says to him reassuringly before looking away for a moment. A few minutes pass as the plane takes off the runway.

The two talk to each other about their recent lives and about all that has happened to them in the past. Another quiet moment hits as they near their destination and Bunnie looks over to the fox again, noticing he's shivering lightly.

"Ya'll okay, Tails?" She asks him. "You look nervous."

"Yes, it's just that... Sonic said there was someone like me there, someone who's abilities could rival mine." Tails explains.

"Nah, if what ya'll tell me is true, you haven' got a thing ta worry about." She reaches over and puts a hand on his nearby shoulder.

Tails smiles lightly and looks up. "It's not that I'm worried or scared, Bunnie. I'm trembling with excitement." He replies.

"Well we're almost there, ya'll get to stretch your legs soon 'nuff." She adds to him, looking forward with a bit of a concerned expression on her face.

As the plane approaches, a small city of many lights comes into view.

"This is our stop." The pilot yells back from the cockpit. "The place you're looking for is not far from the airstrip, just follow the signs to the Mammoth Casino. You can't miss it, biggest building on the main stretch."

The two nod in acknowledgment, holding on as the plane comes down on a small airstrip. The door opens and the two climb up from their seat, heading for the door.

"Oh, and one more thing... don't let anybody know you're from the Acorn Kingdom. The citizens of this place blame them for all their problems, it'll get ugly quick." The pilot yells to them once again as they exit the plane.

The two keep that in mind as they walk away from the airstrip and make their way to the main road of the small city.

"Wow, this place is... different," Bunnie mentions as they both look around at all the flashing lights and neon signs. Yet something far more ominous than the lighting catches their attention, the majority of the places look very run down, with sketchy looking Mobians hanging around outside of them.

"Haha, look at that pretty boy!" One of them teases, point over at Tails. The fox cringes a little and keeps walking.

"Dun let them get ta ya, they dun know any better sugah." Bunnie quietly reassures him.

The two make their way to the largest building on the strip, a grand golden and marble-looking casino with a giant flashing sign on it. "Mammoth Casino". The two stop at the steps and look up to the door, noticing a significant number of armed guards at the door. Tails leans over and whispers to his rabbit companion.

"How are we going to get in?" He whispers to her.

"I'm not sure, sugah. Let's look around." She whispers back to him.

The pair walks around to the side of the building where they find a scraggly looking weasel Mobian calling out to them. "Psst, psst, over here!" The pair looks at each other for a moment before walking up to the weasel.

"You guys Acorns?" The weasel asks quietly.

The two ponder a good answer to this question, finding themselves have no need to reply as the weasel motions to them. "Come this way, the basement door is where your friend is."

They reluctantly follow him to the steps leading down to the side door. "No guards and a convenient way in... this has to be a trap." Tails mumbled aloud. Bunnie opens the door, peering into a mostly dark room.

"There's not a thin' in here." She says, walking in a bit more in before looking behind her, seeing Tails just behind her. "I see something, but I'm not sure what." The fox says as his eyes adjust.

The door suddenly slams behind them, leaving them in the dark for a moment.

"This has trap written all over it," Tails says before being blinded by the sudden light in the room.

"How right you are." A bassy voice echoes from the other side of the room.

As their eyes adjust to the sudden light, they begin to see across from them a fine-looking large oak table with three others sitting at it. One is a large elephant decked out in a fine suit with a golden cane. The other is a face that's very familiar to Tails, a real blast to the past as it's none other than Fiona Fox. The other, however, is a very different one. A several tailed kitsune, pitch black in fur color and wearing an equally dark uniform.

"Well, welcome, welcome to my grand casino. It's a beauty, isn't it? It's a shame that your graves will be very much more dank." The elephant man gives with a chuckle.

"A kitsune..." Tails says softly to her "I knew I sensed one around here... but... I don't sense just one. There's two of them in range and they are both... they're both here." He says, looking around quickly, seeing no one else but the five present there.

"Well, well, well." The vixen says as she stands up from her seat, taking a few steps over toward the two others. "Look what they sent to us now. A weak little fox and a dumb bunny..." She says with a scoff. "I guess they've given us their best already, a shame... we waited all this time for nothing."

The three others by the table chuckle darkly.

"Well, I've done my part... I will take my leave now." Says the dark kitsune, literally standing up and seeming to fade from sight.

"Where did he go?" Bunnie says, looking around frantically.

"He left... kitsune aren't bound to the same laws we are, some of them can literally teleport." Tails replies.

The vixen glances back at the kitsune as he disappears before walking up to Tails, Bunnie suddenly jumping up in the way.

"Back off, sista!" The rabbit says as she jumps up directly in the way.

"Now, now... you'll get your turn, just sit down cunt." She says before giving a swipe of her hand to the other's cheek, knocking the rabbit further to the side than it should have, effectively knocking her down.

Tails tenses up and clenches his fists.

"Hah, what are you going to do? I remember you well, you are one of those Acorn softies that could be easily lured into whatever I wanted with just a bat of my eyes. I'm very much disappointed that such a weakling is what they sent to rescue their friends. Pitiful, true to the nature of an Acorn." She laughs wickedly as a faint aura of darkness leaks out around her frame.

"Well, Miss Fiona. I shall leave these two to you, do as you wish." The large elephant Mobian says as he gets up from his chair and turns to leave the room.

"Stop! Where is Geoffrey!?" Tails calls out to Mammoth.

The elephant pauses as he's called out and laughs. "Oh, that skunk fellow. You needn't worry about him, he's very much alive. Not that it matters, you will all be dead soon." He adds merely before vanishing into an elevator.

"Now softie, let's settle things once and for all." The vixen spits out before Bunnie suddenly jumps back up and attacks Fiona. Without even looking Fiona blocks the attack and grabs her fist in her hand, squeezing it painfully. "Hah, you fools have no idea what you're up against. Your precious rabbit girl can't help you, Tails. Both of you are going to be struck down by the power of a goddess." She adds with a wicked grin.

Finally, it all make sense to Tails, he sensed two kitsune because the one in front of him now is a hybrid, just like him. He grits his teeth a bit.

"They... they hybridized you. YOU of all mobians. They couldn't have made a worse decision, but it doesn't matter now. I know you're riding high, but believe me, it's not justified." Tails says with a dire tone.

Fiona scoffs to Tails' comment and as Bunnie tries to kick at her and make her let go of the hand, she simply throws the rabbit across the room with a quick gesture. Bunnie flies through the room and lands sharply on the oak table, shattering it to pieces.

"Bunnie!" The twin-tail fox calls out in shock.

"Don't worry, you'll both share the same fate." She adds before picking Tails up by the neck. The dark aura of the vixen grows stronger, spiking outward from her and surging along her body.

"I don't think so..." Tails replies before grabbing Fiona's arm in a flash, now flourishing with his own bright white aura. Fiona's eyes grow wide at what she senses Tails' energy, who in turn pries her hand from his throat and pushes her back with a quick gesture of his left paw, causing her to stumble back several feet, almost landing on her backside.

"It... it can't be... you're the one he was talking about. A whelp like you, given the power of a god. No, I can't believe it!" She says before lashing out at him with a fist clenched.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He says simply before dodging the blow as it comes near to his face. The vixen doubles back and aims an enhanced kick in his direction, going for his head which in term misses just as quickly as the attack was launched.

"It doesn't matter, now that I think about it... you don't have what it takes to strike a woman!" She says darkly before throwing another lightning-fast punch in his direction, landing directly on his mouth.

The pair pause a moment as they stare each other down intensely before Tails reaches up, grabbing the offending arm once again, pulling her fist down from his face. His blue orbs staring down into her own lighter colored eyes as if looking into her very soul despite being partially covered by her dark aura. A trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his maw.

"I don't care who you are, anyone who lifts a hand to any one of my friends is going to pay for it." He says before launching a quick punch in her direction. The blow lands and she hisses with pain and displeasure.

"You, you're not Tails... who are you?" She says, taking a step back.

"I AM Tails, but things aren't like how they used to be... we were but children back then. Things are different now. For too long have I been merely a sidekick to a legend, but my time is now! I've grown up to be a better Mobian than you EVER will; and woman or not, you will not get away with murder while I have anything to say about it!" The two-tailed fox states triumphantly as his own grown stronger, beginning to whip the room in a mystic wind.

"No... you're just a whelp, and I'm going to prove it!" She says before launching out another attack, more furious than before.

The two block and exchange blows at lightning speed, Bunnie suddenly awakens from her stupor and sits up, seeing the two in the incredibly fast dance of battle.

"After this is over I'm going to knock some sense into the one who hybridized you!" He says amongst the fury before ultimately landing a hard blow to her stomach. The vixen slides back on her hands and knees, doubled over from the blow.

"Don't... be stupid... even I can't... fight at their level." She said amidst pants before ultimately leaping back up and resuming the intense fight.

"Maybe YOU can't, you're far too dissolute to understand what it means to exist at that level," Tails says at the fight flies apart, each taking a stance a few steps from each other. "Or is it that you're just not as tough as you claim yourself to be?"

"What!? How DARE you..." She says before holding a hand up, palm open in his direction as a mass of her aura condenses into a ball which launches out in a black beam in his direction.

The twin-tail anticipated the oncoming attack and puts an equally large amount of energy into his right arm, which he uses to knock away the energy blast. That dark mass lands up on the ceiling near a corner, blowing it to pieces.

"Curse you..." She mumbles, as the density of her aura fades away slightly.

"What's the matter? You were talking really big just a few minutes ago and now I can see that you're barely putting up a fight." He says as he monitors her energies carefully.

"Just shut up!" She replies in fury as she launches back out after him, just to get knocked back down by a harsh blow to her cheek.

"Auugh!" She cries out, sliding roughly over to near where Bunnie is, who quickly gets back up to her feet and puts distance between her and the vixen.

.oO(They're not joking, I can barely even see them move when they attack. They really are at a level above regular Mobians. I'm just glad Tails is on my side.) Bunnie thinks to herself amidst the fray.

Fiona sits up and wipes a bit of blood from her own muzzle before laughing.

"It can't be... he's really stronger than I am. Such a weak fool who only follows his heart, a softie that could once barely defend himself and wouldn't harm a fly, now bares a power that can even stop me at this level. It's infuriating!" She gripes before smashing her fist into the concrete floor, shattering it, cringing.

"You think so little of me, I know... but only those with a pure heart can exist at the top. I'm still working on that much myself, but it's not too late. Give up and come back with us, my kitsune friend can make you stronger. This life of stepping on other people to make you higher no longer has any promise for you." He says, trying to convince her.

The vixen just shakes her head. "I don't care what you've become, you're not the one calling the shots!" She says before lifting a paw from her seated position and aiming another dark energy blast toward Bunnie, quickly launching it. The rabbit looks on in horror, having no idea how to defend against something like that, just bracing for the worse.

A white blast from Tails knocks it away, causing them both to explode just in front of Bunnie, who recoils, cringing from the blast. Spared with only a ringing in her ears.

Just as Fiona tries to gather another energy blast, she freezes, seeing Tails in front of her holding a spiraling white mass of power in his own open hand, directly in front of her.

A glimpse from the past enters her mind, seeing how she how she had always looked down and disrespected him. Having always thought of him as soft and loving, something she felt she could never be and ultimately had to use as her fuel to look down upon him. All she remembers is all the suffering she saw and how those who were strong were the ones who rose up and took advantage of the situation, inevitably becoming the oppressors themselves. The strong could never be soft and kind, could they? The thoughts ran through her mind as she stared up at him with the mixed look of defeat and something more.

"Go ahead... this is how it's supposed to end," Fiona says with a hint of sorrow in her voice, feeling the burn of the energy in front of her on her nose.

Tails just frowns and retracts the energy, before turning away and simply walking away.

"Let's go, Bunnie, there's nothing more we can do here, they're all dead." The fox says ears laid back in despair. Bunnie sighs and walks over to pick up her hat, looking back at the mess the two created before ultimately following the fox.

"No, they're not! The skunk is still alive... I can show you where he is." Fiona speaks up suddenly, climbing up to her feet. The two pause and look back.

"What, where is he?" Tails asks in surprise.

Fiona struggles up to her feet and motions to a large metal door that was still intact despite the battle. "He's in there."

Tails and Bunnie eye the door suspiciously.

"Don't worry, there are no more tricks. It was up to me to get rid of you... when Mammoth finds out I've failed, he's going to want my head." Fiona says, turning away from them with her arms crossed.

The twin-tail runs over to the large door and frantically looks for a way to open it.

"Don't bother, it only opens from the inside. If you want in there you're going to have to blast it open." The defeated vixen adds from her spot away from the two others, looking away with eyes closed.

Tails rubs the bottom of his muzzle thoughtfully before powering up once again, covered once again by his holy white aura as he charges up a blast right up against the door. "Hang on Geoffrey, we're almost there." The power discharges, blowing the heavy door right off of its hinges with a large dent in the center where the blast hit the door.

In the room was a bunch of boxes with the anticipated skunk bound to a chair and gagged, looking rather beaten up. The sound stirs him away and he looks up to the fox with weary eyes.

"Don't worry, we're getting you out of here." The twin-tailed one speaks as he rushes over, the rabbit quickly running over to help as well. They break the ropes and remove the gag from the captives muzzle.

"I thought I was a goner... where is that witch?" He says, standing up with a bit of a wobble.

The three look back into the previous room, just to see emptiness.

"Damn, where did she go?" Tails calls out, walking back into the other room to make sure she is gone.

"This place must 'ave tons of secret exits, sugah." Bunnie says before offering the beaten a skunk a hand, who reluctantly takes it and hobbles along with her.

"I've never seen anything like it... how is it that you're still alive?" Geoffrey calls out to the inspecting fox.

"Let's just say she's not the only one with special gifts." He says and he takes a close look at a nearby wall, still able to feel her nearby.

"Bah, a few years pass and suddenly the youngsters are all the strong ones." He gripes.

"Bunnie, take him out of here, I'm going to go after Mammoth and Fiona." He says, powering up again just to be disturbed by a voice from before.

"You're not going anywhere." The black-furred, orange eyed kitsune says, blocking the way to the door. "I don't know how you beat her, but I'm still under contract to ensure you filthy Acorns never escape here." His 5 tails swirling about behind him.

Tails turns and walks up to where the other two are and look onward to their blocker.

"A kitsune, working for a Mobian. Funny, I figured such an enlightened creature would have more pride than that." Tails calls out to the dark one.

"Feh, you have no idea what you're talking about kid. This plan goes far beyond what you could imagine. Soon that 'Mammoth' will be the owner of your entire dimension and there's nothing you can do about it."

"We'll see about that." Tails says before powering up further and walking toward the kitsune.

"You actually think you have what it takes to beat me!? I've got at least 500 years on you, kid. Face it, you're not leaving here." He says, his own aura now showing, equally black, like Fiona's.

Tails just raises his paw and charges another white energy blast like before. "Then I have no choice but to go through you." He says before launching the energy blast at the kitsune.

The energy crackles and hurls toward the other, making a loud boom as it strikes against him. A moment passes and the smoke begins to clear and there stands the dark kitsune without a scratch on him.

"Hah hah hah hah! Is _that_ all you've got? You're not even close to my level, go ahead and waste all your power trying to get out, there's no way you could..." He's suddenly caught off guard by another explosion and suddenly falls to his knees, cringing.

"Wh-what... who was that?" He mutters, looking back behind him to see Fiona behind him, all charged up.

"You stupid bitch, what do you think you're doing!?" He calls out in anger as she powers up another blast.

"Come on Tails, this guy is strong... but together we can beat him!" She calls out to him from outside.

The fox nods and readies another blast of his own, this time putting all he can safely muster behind it. The kitsune glances between them both, now stuck and well aware that even at his level he can't safely handle two of them at the same time.

"Damn you! You haven't seen the last of me!" He says before disappearing once more.

Tails and Fiona both relax their power and Geoffrey looks on stupified.

"Why did she help us?" The skunk thinks aloud.

Fiona then turns away again and begins to walk away. Tails stops and suddenly feels something within him he hadn't felt in a long time. He was genuinely concerned about her, despite being their adversary. Somewhere in her heart, she had regret and great sadness.

"Wait, don't go." He calls out to her. Fiona looks back to him for a moment with the despair obvious in her eyes.

"Go, get out of here!" She says before running away into the streets.

Bunnie and Geoffrey come up next to him.

"That woman is bad news, bloke. Forget about her." Geoffrey offers to Tails, who hesitantly nods and reaches over to help the skunk as well, walking out into the street themselves.

"Well, we may have survived that ordeal... but it doesn' change the fact that we're stuck 'here." Bunnies says to the others.

"Not for long... there's a radio hidden in those bushes." Geoffrey says, motioning over toward a bush cluster on the far side of the street. "One call on there and we'll be out of here in no time."

They all move over, going through the stream of others around them who turn to look at them with judgmental eyes as if they knew what had happened and didn't want them around anyway. They make it over to the bushes and Geoffrey gets up on his own and digs down into the bushes.

"Ugh..." he grumbles in pain as he leans over and finally ends up sitting down. He calls out to silence for about a minute before someone finally responds. Afterward, they head back out to the landing strip where they were before, the skunk limping alongside the fox and the rabbit. It's not long before a helicopter lands near to them in which they load up into, soon to be headed off home.

A few minutes of nothing but the noise of the craft echoes amidst them before Tails speaks up.

"This is really bad, there are kitsune actively taking a part in the future of our dimension. I was leery when he spoke about the other hybrids, but never once did he say anything about pure-blooded kitsune. There's more to this than meets the eye." He says thoughtfully. "The only chance we have is to find the third hybrid... maybe between all of us we can end whatever they are planning, but the location of the other eludes me. I can sense them, out there somewhere, but I can't determine where without getting closer." He adds before falling silent again.

"You sure ya'll can get that vixen ta help? She seems to have other things in mind, sugah." Bunnie says to Tails.

"Probably not, that's why we must find the other... and hope they're reasonable enough." He replies.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

Standing on a hill high above a ruined village stands an unknown Mobian, looking down over the smoldering ruins with clear dismay.

"The many tailed demons have been here..." He says with a growl. "What is it they could possibly want with a peaceful village like this one. One just like mine..." He pauses, clenching his fist. "I swear... I will find a way to make them pay!" He exclaims as his hand bursts into a bright blue.

The unknown pyro of a Mobian soon makes his way down to the village, scouring the remains for any signs of survivors. Near to the remains of a wooden home lies a woman, an avian of bright color, singed by the flames and clearly beaten.

"Please... help me..." She calls weakly up to the male.

He leans down over the woman and asks. "Who did this to you?"

"It was... some ferret Mobian, along with several of those... many tailed foxes. They said..." She coughs for a moment, choking on her own blood.

"Enough, save your strength, just show me where they went." He says impatiently, looking up and around furiously making sure none of them are left nearby.

She weakly points to the north, toward a road. "There, in the... they went... in the canyon." She says before the wing falls limply to the ground.

The unknown one, now clearly seen as a male rat with bright blue hair, wearing flowing garments and wooden sandals; takes no time and begins to run in the direction of the canyon. The rodent thinks to himself.

.oO(I may have this... gift... but I still don't know how I can stop them, but I must try! If it costs me my life, so be it. They've taken too much from me already)

His eyes tear up a bit as he remembers his loving wife and child, slain by the hands of one of the many-tailed ones. He was powerless to stop them then, but he will, he MUST find a way to avenge them, he tells himself.

After nearly 30 minutes of running through the canyon, he spots a convoy ahead of them, moving fairly slow in comparison. A slight light blue aura that surrounded him suddenly glows much brighter and he begins to speed ahead at an incredible speed, being propelled as if they wind itself was blowing him there. He draws his sword as he sees one of the kitsunes trailing at the end and quickly lashes out right as he reaches the other, taking off the kitsune's 3 tails in one swoop of his blade, cutting through easily as he caught him by surprise.

The kitsune cries out and falls to the ground, the others then stop the caravan and look back just to see the rat standing atop of the pained kitsune.

"It's _that_ guy... I swore we left him for dead. Oh well, he'll just make for some extra entertainment." The ferret at the front of the wagons says and motions to several of the others. "Take _his_ tail off, let's see how much he likes it." He commands with a chuckle.

A strange golden collar encircles the ferret male's neck, with an ominous looking dark blue lady kitsune, stands by his side. An equally strange looking bracelet around one of her paws with a glowing gem, watching the spectacle unfold with a flat expression.

The rat wields his sword readily, his bright blue aura flaring and a strong wind picking up around them.

"You don't scare us, you may know our weakness, but you'll never get _our_ tails!" One of the two calls out before both soars up to the rat. Both of them having four tails each.

The battle lashes out with furious slashes of the sword and lightning lashes of the fists, just like the battle between Tails and Fiona. The others in the group cheer on the two kitsune.

"Yeah, rip him to shreds!", "Beat the shit out of that stupid rodent!" The crowd cheers on, consisting mostly of Mobians at this point, many of them also having one of those strange collars with a zoned-out look in their eyes.

The battle continues, the rat able to fend off the blows with the side of his blade and quick maneuvers. He then suddenly lashes out with his blade in a way bigger than before, causing another great wind to pick up. The twin kitsunes shutter as they're blown back and suddenly find cuts on the sides of their heads.

"What the..." one says, wiping the blood from his cheek, being distracted just long enough to find the rat's sword piercing through his heart. "N-no... I can't be beaten... by a lowly Mobian." He whispers loudly in agony in agony before falling back off of the sword, motionless. The other kitsune cringes and lashes out at the other, his attack more furious than before.

"Whaddya know... this dumbass has some potential after all." He quips to the large kitsune next to him who remains expressionless, purple, elliptical-pupil laden eyes focused intently on the fight.

The fight continues on, furious blows traded between the two for several minutes, the two showing no signs of tiring.

"Hmm... enough..." The deep blue kitsune suddenly speaks up in her rich, feminine tone. She quickly charges up a sizeable blast of her fur-matching colored energy and launches it without hesitation. The resulting beam engulfing several of the Mobian on-lookers along with the kitsune who fights the rat. The light blue shrouded rodent spots the energy blast and dives for cover as the kitsune in front of him is engulfed in the energy, sharing the fate of the others as he's blasted into mere particles by the blast.

"Missed..." The blue kitsune mumbles.

"Hey, woah! You're killing your own men. We've gotta have servants to push the wagons!" The ferret snaps at the dark blue kitsune.

"Fine, you deal with him then." She mutters before grabbing the wagon in the front, literally lifting the entire thing above her head and hovering off of the ground, flying off with whatever precious cargo that was in it.

"Tsk, fine." He mumbles as she leaves, walking fearlessly toward the rat which has now gotten back to his feet.

"Oooo, he's in trouble now. The boss is gonna rip 'em a new one." The remaining crowd cheers the oddly confident Mobian on. The assaulting rat readies his now bloody blade, a somber look on his features.

"The boss? ...are you the one that's responsible for the all the lives lost in the villages?" The rat asks with a tone of indignation.

"Hah, yeah... I got a little carried away... you see, it's easy to get carried away when you carry the power of ever-cleansing fire." He says, his body suddenly being engulfed in flames.

"You have a power like mine... what are you?" The rat calls out, gripping his blade ever tighter.

"A god... and now I will smite you like the miserable insect you are!" His flames flare up more, becoming so hot to the area around him that it sets the remaining wagons on fire and causing the swordsman to shudder. Maniacal laughter fills the area as the flaming ferret slowly closes ground on the other.

"A god... a fool more like it. Let's see if your fire can keep up with my wind!" He thrusts forward a paw, a gale force wind kicking up causing the ferret to guard himself, slowly being pushed back but his flames are ultimately fanned even brighter.

"Hah hah hah hah, sorry to burst your bubble but the wind only makes fire stronger. You don't stand a chance." He says, motioning out toward the rat, a pillar of flames of flames following.

The rat then focuses, encasing him with an even stronger whirlwind that blows the flames away.

.oO(He's right, I can't beat him using my power... I've got to think of another way... a way to get his guard down) The swordsman thinks to himself as he's cocooned in the veil of wind.

"It's now or nothing!" The rat cries out as he charges up his wind power as high as he possibly can, creating a hurricane force blast of the wind that blows away the remaining Mobians and pushes the flaming ferret slowly backward as he tries to hold on.

"It's useless, you might as well just throw your power away!" The ferret gives another bought of crazed laughter as he and his flames continue to be pushed back.

"I don't care what you say... you killed my wife, my friends, my child! I can't let you get away with this! If it takes until my last breath, I will ensure that you never harm anyone again!"

The wind howls and rumbles with the force of the rat's aura, the flames of his assailant finally beginning to flicker.

"No way, you're not blowing me out!" The maniacal ferret retorts, closing his eyes and giving a loud cry out as he pushes his strength as far as it will go, the flames roaring around him as it's all pushed back.

.oO(Now's my chance, he's not paying attention!) The rat says before positioning his sword and letting go. The blade flies toward the ferret at incredible speed as it's pushed by the tremendous wind landing square in the middle of the ferret's chest.

Soon both the wind and the flames die down as the swordsman relaxes and the ferret finds himself impaled by the sword.

"You... you clever little bastard." He says amidst grunts of pain, eyes open now and wide with shock as he grabs the blade piercing him, doubling over.

"Now you feel _my_ pain, remember this moment and learn from it." The rat calls out.

"You idiot... there's no way you're going to strike down the god of flames with one lousy trick." He hisses out before suddenly pulling the blade free from his chest, a rampant amount of blood spilling out after as the ferret hits the ground, panting and shivering.

The swordsman rat then moves over toward the ferret, his flames now tamed. He reaches down and picks up the bloodied sword, lashing it out a couple times to get the loose blood off of it before sheathing it back in its scabbard. He then puts his foot firmly down on the ferret's neck, pressing down hard.

"God or not, you will atone for your crimes!"

The ferret hisses and grabs the sandaled foot, struggling beneath him.

Suddenly Tails wakes up, rubbing his forehead as he ponders what he just saw.

"Was that just a dream?" He ponders aloud.

"That was no dream..." A familiar voice pops out from the darkness of the room. "I saw it too."

"Genra, is that you? How long have you been in here?" Tails asks groggily.

"Just a couple of hours, I couldn't help but come to you when I realized what was happening. I knew you would have questions." He explains simply, silvery eyes peering out from across the room.

"As we speak, two hybrids are fighting it out for dominance in another land, each fueled by the own visions and desires." The elder explains.

"But I thought you said there were only three." He says, looking over toward those silver eyes curiously.

"Yes, there were only three in my visions, that's all there will be when it's all said and done. The others will not survive." He explains.

"What... just who are the three?" Tails asks wondering if he's one of the ones killed along the way.

"I cannot say for certain, their feature were mostly obscured in my visions. There are many possibilities but there will be only three standing in the final days." Genra says.

Tails jumps out of bed and starts to get dressed.

"Where are you going young one? If you're going to find that canyon, you're going to be too late by the time you get there even if you know where it is. It's over a day's time away from here." The elder states.

"Then you'll just have to take me, I know you can get there quicker." Tails demands.

"Don't be harsh, we must let these things unfold by themselves. It is not our place to intervene." He says to the younger.

"I don't care, I refuse to believe that only three will be alive in the end. If even one more life is spared, we'll be better off in the end." Tails says with confidence as he finishes dressing. "Now take me there." He orders the older.

"Very well, but know that you cannot change this prophecy." He says with a sigh. "Fine, put your hand on my shoulder and I will teleport you there. Just remember, there is high-profile pure blood around there too, you must be careful."

"I understand, Genra, I will do what I can to avoid confrontation with that female." Tails says to him reassuringly.

A minute passes as Genra concentrates before Tails finds himself in the broad daylight, now in that very canyon.

"Thanks, Genra, I will make this count." He mumbles to himself.

The two continue their struggle, the ferret having escaped from beneath the other's foot and is beginning to get fired up again.

"Heh, I will reduce you to ashes, fool!" The ferret calls out before focusing his fire power into an area in front of him and launching a fireball full-force at the rat. The swordsman braces himself with another cocoon of the wind, barely managing to stave the fire off.

Tails sees the two others and the remains of the wreckage just ahead of him. "Good, there's still time... and he really did know just where they were, now I can set things straight." He mumbles to himself as he walks toward the two, several feet behind the swordsman and able to feel the whoosh of the wind around him.

The ferret suddenly stops and looks past the swordsman, seeing the twin-tail approaching. "Huh? Who is this fool?" He calls out.

This causes the rat to look behind him as well, he notices the twin tails and reaches for the handle of his sword.

"There's no need to be frightened, I've seen your plight and now I've come to make things right," Tails says as he approaches , his bright white aura beginning to flare. He steps near to the hesitant rat, which takes a step away from him.

"Strange, I was confident there were no others around... then this guy just drops in. How idiotic, I guess I get to fry yet another dumbass today." The ferret speaks before giving another laugh.

"There's only one way to end this quickly... let's combine our power." He says to the rat beside him. He reaches out a glowing paw to the swordsman. A ball of his white energy beginning to form in it.

The rat looks to him hesitantly before offering his paw as well, forming his own light blue, wind-power energy to him.

"I really don't know what this is going to do... but when he charges, he gets to find out." Tails adds just loud enough for the rat to hear him. The swordsman nods and focuses a great deal of his power into the combined light blue and white ball which sparkles spectacularly and spirals in a radical motion.

The other doesn't hear them and finally stops laughing, flaring the flames once more before charging at them at full speed.

"Hold it... almost there..." He says as the other rapidly approaches them and just as Tails is about ready to say go, the ferret makes an astounding leap over them. Taken aback for a moment before refocusing and aiming the powerful combined energies backward. Tails and the others look over their shoulders.

"Now!" Tails calls out as the blast flies from them right as the ferret lands. The flaming one looks back at the large blast of combined energy and flares his flames, turning quickly around to try to defend himself.

The combined energy land against him with a loud crack like close-range thunder. The ferret struggles with it, trying to control it but it inevitably pushes him quickly back as he desperately tries to keep it from exploding.

"Nooo!" the flaming ferret cries out desperately, ultimately losing control of the blast and causing the entire area to be engulfed in an explosion that could be felt for many miles around. The fox and the rat brace themselves as the blast push them back as well, filling the area with dust and rocks which blow at them with an incredible gust. Quickly the blast fades and the dust begins to clear from the air.

The ferret lies back against a canyon wall, still in one piece but gravely injured. Tails sees this and runs up to him, leaning down to check for a pulse.

"He's still alive." He says before noticing that golden collar around his neck. He reaches over and tries to find a way to remove the collar, struggling with it as it's sealed quite tightly around the other's neck.

"Hey, help me get this off of him!" Tails calls back to the other who is already closing the distance between him and the others.

The two struggle with the collar before finally breaking it loose, the collar flickering violently with a strange energy as it's removed. Tails quickly throws it away to the side and picks up the injured ferret over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" The rat asks.

"It's as I thought, he wasn't responsible for his actions. That collar had some kind of control over him, now we need to get him medical attention." Tails explains.

"There's another village up ahead, it's likely where they were going..." The rat adds.

"BTW, I'm Tails... from the Acorn Kingdom," He says to the other as they begin to trek down the road with the ferret slung on the fox's shoulder.

"I'm Darrien... I'm from the village of Sohori, which was destroyed by that ferret and a gang of the many-tailed demons." He explains.

"Nice to meet you Darrien... and demons isn't exactly the right term for them, they're just other beings from another place." Tails adds.

"They're demons to me, they were among those that killed my wife and child. I can never forgive them! I am surprised that you, being one of them, would help me." The rat adds, eyeing his twin tails suspiciously.

"Oh, my tails... I was born with them, it was some kind of genetic mutation. I'm no more a kitsune than you are." The twin-tailed fox explains.

"What do you mean?" The rat questions as they continue their conversation and walk.

"It's a long story, I'll tell you along the way."

The two walk and talk for over 15 minutes along the way. Tails explains to the shocked rat they are part kitsune themselves and that they were made that way at some point in their lives. In Darrien's case, he never even knew but thought it was strange that he has control over the wind and an odd aura. He also explains that the ferret is one too and that he was most likely made that way to be a tool to the pure-blooded kitsune and serve a hidden agenda.

"I don't know what they're doing, but there's something definitely not good about it. It must explain why I have a pure-blood kitsune watching over me now, he obviously knows more than he's letting on but I sense no evil in his heart... so I'm thankful for his help." Tails adds as they walk into the village.

"You can sense evil?" The rat asks with a bit of bewilderment.

"Yes, I can... this is why I decided to keep this guy around, once the collar was removed any trace of evil vanished from him. Besides, with whatever the evil among the kitsune is planning, we're going to need all the help we can get. Genra told me that we will be able to stand toe-to-toe with kitsune, but not yet, we still need time for our power to mature."

"When will that be?" The rat continues questioning.

"That, I've never been able to get an answer to." The twin-tailed fox replies.

The two go over to the local hospital and put the ferret down on the bed. A local doctor begins to work on the ferret.

"It's a good thing you two got him here when you did... he wouldn't have survived much longer." The doctor porcupine tells them.

"We should've just flown here," Darrien tells Tails.

"Flown here, what do you mean?" He asks in return.

"You mean you can't fly? I thought all of us with these special powers could fly." The rat explains, beginning to hover off of the ground.

"No, I used to be able to fly with my tails, but not anymore... you'll have to show me how sometime."

The doctor clears his throat to regain their attention. "I'm not sure how long it will take him to recover, possibly around a week. In the mean time he needs to rest, please step back outside and come back in a few days." The spikey-backed doctor tells the others, who step outside and continue their conversation.

Meanwhile back in the Acorn Kingdom, Genra stands atop the palace looking out over the rising sun.

"He's the one... I can finally rest my doubt. He's the one who will bring balance back to the kitsune once and for all. His heart is pure and so shall be his power. It's time he knows the true enemy... before they take me away from him..." He says to himself as he watches the horizon in deep thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

That night, Tails and Darrien sleep soundly in a house near to the doctor's place which was graciously offered to them for the night. Darrien up in a spare bed while Tails sleeps on the floor upon a rather comfortable bedroll, both of them in a side bedroom. The fox dreamt several dreams that night, but the last one stood out to him in particular.

He walks through the thick mist of an early morning on a descending path along a mountainside. Along the walls of this mountain, he sees crudely drawn murals of what appears to be human-like creatures doing various things from hunting large animals to doing other daily activities with others of their kind. Just after seeing these, Tails spots a clearing with several primitive-looking overlanders, humans who had just evolved to the modern species. He keeps walking as if being silently pushed by an unknown force. Tails sees them, children playing and an adult hunkered closely to a camp fire.

He can't help but feel a bit of awe, having never seen a human in a primitive state before but that sight soon changes as he heads down, the mountain path leading off into the forest. As he walks through the forest, he sees wooden and stone housing, similar to Knothole back in its early days. It's here that he sees even more humans, clad in animal hides and roughly-stitched clothing going on about their day, seemingly oblivious to the fox that walks alongside them. Tails momentarily feels like calling out to them but just as quickly seems to realize that he can't, for he's merely an observer here.

Tails walks through the forest, finding another clearing ahead and looming on the horizon is the sight of numerous tall, modern buildings. He continues walking this seemingly pre-determined path, which takes him down into the main stretch of this city. It's here that Tails sees an incredible mass of humanity, many thousands of overlanders walking down the street with a large array of automobiles riding along next to them in the street. He can't help but feel incredible awe here, there were so many and he was able to feel every beating heart, every sense of love no matter how faint.

It was overwhelming to him to see so many of them, able to feel the scope of their existence to the billions. He continues his walk, going from the city teaming with activity to back to another peaceful village, this time, more modern in scope... and then on to a shoddy wooden hutch like the primitive man before. Obvious sadness was held in their hearts this time and it was obvious that these overlanders had not been eating or living well, reminding Tails of the time of war that had previously been known to them 10 years ago.

This time, it was different somehow. He couldn't help but feel, after what he had just seen that none of this suffering was necessary as many others seemed to live well. It was then that Tails caught a glimpse of something sinister, as he walked along this seemingly predetermined path he sees the overlanders slaughtering one another, the bodies of their victims falling down into a large ditch, which was teaming with rotting corpses of the mostly hairless ones.

.oO(They seemed so happy before and then this happened... what's going on?) The twin-tailed fox thinks to himself, seeing the mayhem.

It was then that another city loomed on the horizon, this one under a dark horizon, looking much more bleak with numerous homeless fighting in the streets alongside very run-down hi-rise buildings. It was then that Tails slowly began to make something else out amongst the overlanders. They were not kitsune, but a strange reptilian creature, seemingly hanging off of the backs of the many overlanders. Many, many more of them began to form in the overlander's place with larger, more dragon-like creatures looming over the others.

"It was not just their fault... there was much strife amongst the overlanders by their nature, however, the leaders of humanity were just like puppets, their strings being pulled by an unknown shadow. These creatures you see now are the puppet masters. They are not Earthly in nature, they are a predator race that came from the stars, numbering nearly as many as the humans themselves. They were the instrument of humanity's ultimate downfall... turning what could have been a time of greatness into ruin with their greed and megalomania. Now humanity is nearly extinct and while these creatures have seemed to have faded into obscurity, know that they are still among you... and they will destroy the Mobians just like they have the overlanders." An ominous voice explains.

.oO(I don't understand, I've never seen such a creature... yet they were able to destroy an entire civilization?) The fox thinks as he continues walking along the now badly-cracked path.

Just then Tails seems to stop and he looks to the sky, one particular reptilian creature seems to block the sky, one giant puppeteer with a wicked grin on his face. "Yes, dance my puppets... dance..." It hisses out. "We are your masters, you will give everything of value to us, without ever knowing it was us that created your wars, created debt and poverty. Now your anguish feeds us and we will have more!" The giant calls out with a wicked cackle.

It's then that Tails feels an immense feeling well up in his heart. A feeling of mixed rage and despair.

.oO(They're the reason the overlanders died and they never even knew... and we're next...)

Suddenly the vision fades away into pure blackness, helplessness overwhelming the young fox.

"Now you know... our greatest secret. Their hunger and lust for power is endless. There are good amongst them but they are considered inferior and left for dead. Please, Tails, Fiona, Darrien, Duke, Jex and Kelley. The hybrid kind is our last hope, you will be the only ones who can push them back, and free kitsune and Mobian kind. Their kind is here and in many other places, they must be stopped not just for Mobius's sake, but for the entire universe. They will consume until there is nothing left."

Just as Tails is about to form another question he is sudden shaken awake by Darrien.

"Did you see that?" The rat asks him cautiously.

"Wh-what... oh the dream... so you saw it too?" He questions groggily.

"Yes, those reptiles, I've seen them before. There was one among the raiding party." He says to Tails, rubbing a bit of morning crud from his eyes.

"But there were only Mobians and kitsune in that caravan," Tails says thoughtfully before remembering a detail that he didn't notice before.

"No, there was a reptile there, I thought it was just another Mobian but, I remember catching a glimpse of it getting into the wagon that the dark blue kitsune carried off," Tails says before feeling a bit taken aback. "So that's what all this about, that reptile was the real controller, not the kitsune. They just made it look like that she and our ferret friend were the ones calling the shots."

"Damn, we let him get away," Darrien says with a groan.

"Don't worry about it. I told Genra that I wasn't going to face that kitsune... but now I see that it's necessary. We have to get some answers and those two obviously know something." The fox adds.

"Maybe that ferret will remember something when he wakes up," Darrien suggests.

"I hope so... but we can't afford to wait around to find out, if we don't act soon we may never be able to find them again," Tails says, getting up to his feet. "Let's at least go see if he's conscious."

Darrien nods and looks away for a moment as Tails gets ready to walk out of the bedroom. This catches his attention as the rat is seemingly staring into space. "What's bothering you, Darrien?"

The rat shakes his head and gets to his feet. "It's nothing, let's go." He dismisses quickly before walking up to near Tails.

They thank the elderly lady who lent them the room for the night, who in turn offers them breakfast which they deny in the interest of time. They thank the lady one last time before heading next door to the hospital.

When they arrive they see the porcupine doctor in a tizzy, next to the ferret, who seems to be already sitting up out of bed.

"You shouldn't be moving around so soon, you're going to reopen your wounds!" The doctor tells the ferret who just shrugs it off. The ferret male stares down at the floor before standing up, a gloomy look in his features.

"How could they... how could they use someone and throw them away like they're nothing... I will never forgive them!" He says before trying to walk, although not well, away from the doctor.

"Hold on mister, you're in no shape to be seeking revenge," Darrien says to the ferret.

"I can't just sit around... and let those monsters get away with this." He says before flaring up partially, burning away the bandages from his body.

The doctor jumps back in shock as he looks over the body of the ferret, adjusting his glasses as he sees the ferret's condition.

"Good heavens!" The doctor cries out.

"Huh, what is it!?" Tails asks, stepping forward thinking that he may have been startled by the sudden flare-up.

"He's, almost completely healed. I've never seen any patient recover this fast!" The doctor says, wanting to touch him but knowing better.

"Good, then there's no reason for me to stay here... I have business to tend to." He says as he walks toward the other two.

"No, I must still examine you and make sure your bones have set correctly!" The porcupine says, still a bit flustered.

"Forget about it, I feel fine." He says before walking past the other two, never lifting his gaze off of the floor.

"D-Duke! You still can't just leave!" The doctor exclaims at the ferret one final time.

"You did your job, now it's time that I do mine!" The ferret adds before walking out of the door.

The two other hybrids look at each other for a moment.

"Hey, wait up!" Tails says, following him out with Darrien in tow.

The two walk outside of the cabin, standing just behind the other.

"So you're Duke, we can't let you go alone. We must all face them... Darrien and I have seen what that particular kitsune can do." Tails says to the other.

"You have no idea, I've been under her control for over a month... and that lizard, he's the true leader of the pack. He's had me and many others under a spell... and if one of them can do this much damage, then we have no time to lose." He says before pausing a moment. "I... I can still hear their cries, the look of fear in their eyes as I killed them with my bare hands. I... can't live with that on my conscious... I have to atone and if that means an impossible battle, then I'm all for it!"

"A heroic sentiment... but we don't even know where they are," Darrien adds.

"I do... I know where she was heading. We'll just have to meet them both there." He says with a sniffle, wiping the remnants of tears from his eyes. "If you go with me, you're practically committing suicide."

"No, if we fight together, we will survive!" Tails speaks up with optimism. "Besides, if we can find out what's controlling the kitsune lady, we can spare her from the reptiles influence as well."

"You really think we can?" Darrien asks the fox.

"We've been through worse odds than this... we were all but helpless in the great war, but we still survived. Now we've been giving the blessings of more evolved creatures to help them in their time of need. I don't know if any of you have had kitsune contacts, but Genra trusts me... no, all of us, to bring this to an end." Tails states before quickly turning around to look at him, sensing another's presence.

"Then what are you boys standing around for? We have lizard asses to kick." The black-haired vixen stands around 100 feet behind them, rapidly approaching them and cracking her knuckles.

"It's you!" Tails calls out in surprise as the familiar voice echoes into his ears from the distance.

"That's right, fuzzy. You think I was going to let you and your boyfriends here hog all the glory? I was among those named in that vision. So, I know now that I was not intended to do this alone... and you've gathered two others right here with you." Fiona calls out to them before bridging most of the gap.

"But how did you even get here?" Tails asks her, still leery.

"You know how, ol' Blackie, the kitsune that was supposed to be watching over me for that fat-ass elephant. He was able to track you over the distance and was more than happy to squeal where you were once his balls were on the line. Not only that, but he was happy to get rid of me by giving me a lift here."

"You mean, you beat him by yourself?" Tails inquires more.

"Of course, that one wasn't shit... even a softie like you could've taken him on if you'd just have fought without hesitation." She replies with a dark chuckle.

"This woman... she is one of us?" Darrien asks as Duke looks on, unimpressed by any of this thanks to his somber mood.

"Unfortunately yes, I don't know how she did it, but she received 'the blessing' too." Tails replies.

"The blessing?" Darrien questions.

"What, you mean you don't remember doing the ritual with a kitsune? I thought that's how all of us got this power." Duke asks impatiently.

"No... I've always been this way, ever since I was a child." The rat swordsman replies.

"So, you're not really a hybrid?" Tails asks, remembering how Genra helped awaken his potential.

"I... don't know," Darrien adds, unable to remember what happened to him in his youth.

Duke sighs and just scoffs. "Whatever, we don't have time for this... let's go!" He says before flaring up his fiery aura, floating up from the ground and zooming off in the distance.

"Well, here goes nothing..." Tails says, charging up his aura and lifting himself off of the ground, soon joining the others in the air. It seems, even Fiona knew how to fly like this, he was literally the only one among them still learning and at first, struggles to keep up with them.

Darrien and Duke are leading the pack, flying with more obvious skill at the front.

"So, what are these reptiles, exactly?" The rat inquires from the ferret.

"They're called 'Alpha Draconians', named after the galaxy they originally came from. They're a mighty space-faring race that has supposedly conquered numerous star systems and are parasitic by their nature." Duke calls out to the other against the wind.

"So ours is next..." Darrien says to himself.

"These lizards have been here since the time of early overlanders, choosing to remain hidden as they do their dirty work so that no one could tell it was them. They're finally so confident that they are winning that they are selectively starting to show themselves.

Darrien nods and looks forward again as they soar through the sky.

"By the way, these things can shapeshift, so don't trust anyone you see around there. Where there's one, there's at least a dozen of them and most of them will be in camouflage." He calls out to the others.

Tails nods, Fiona also being within earshot.

.oO(So what the black kitsune told me is true, they can look like anyone at any time... damn, how are we supposed to fight against something that can do _that_.) Fiona ponders with a frown.

"We have to 'feel them out'. Genra told me that we will be able to learn to _feel_ their lower frequency simply by being around them as we get used to our new abilities." Tails says back to Fiona, who blinks in surprise.

"How did you know I was just thinking that?" She calls out to him skeptically.

"What? You mean you didn't just say it?" Tails asks her, blinking a bit in surprise.

"Mind your own business, softie!" She retorts with a scowl.

Tails just shakes his head and flies up closer to the other two.

"We're almost there," Duke calls out to them before coming to a stop in mid-air. "We've gotta approach them on foot and can't let our auras leak out or they'll know we're there." He explains before floating back down to the ground. The others following them down, including Tails who loses concentration and falls several feet onto his rear.

"Ouch!" He calls out, rubbing his now sore backside.

"Idiot..." Fiona just scoffs at him with a roll of her eyes and walks up with the others, who are now walking out of formation up to what looks like a checkpoint. Tails quickly catches up and walks up next to Duke who suddenly stops and looks back.

"Remember, keep your aura suppressed so they don't figure us out.. and Tails, you look like a kitsune with those two-tails, so get up here in the front and tell the gate guard that you are bringing in new Mobians for recruitment." He motions.

The twin-tail then takes the lead, putting a stern expression on his face. They then walk up to the checkpoint and Tails takes the lead as advised.

"Just bringing in some new recruits." Tails states, swishing his tails.

The apparent dog Mobian and another twin-tailed fox, a real kitsune then begin to look over them. The kitsune steps up and looks squarely at Tails.

"Funny, I don't remember seeing you around here." He calls out, sniffing in his direction. Before Tails has a chance to comment the kitsune continues. "Yes, a sweet smell but I can tell he's nice and strong, the kind Contessa seems to like to bring in. He must be one of her play-toys, let them in." He motions to the dog, both of them stepping aside before getting back in the way of the other three.

"You others, however, don't belong out walking around freely... to the pens with them." The kitsune then orders, a couple of other mobians seeming to phase in, rapidly grabbing the arms of the others.

"Why you..." Fiona growls before Duke looks back to her. "Don't fight it, they have us fair and square." He says with a wink back to her who then tries to calm down as they are lead into the encampment.

Tails watches as they are taken away and notes in which direction they were taken in. He looks around the camp as he walks in. He sees numerous kitsune, mostly those with no more than two tails like he has but one particularly large tent catches his attention as he sees a gold and jewel-clad lizard step out from it, this one much taller and imposing than the one he caught a glimpse of before.

.oO(That must be what they truly look like, they're a lot bigger than what I saw. It's easy to see that they're not Mobian in their true form.)

"What 'chu looking at?" The Draconian calls out to Tails who quickly realizes he was staring.

"Uh, nothing sir." He replies before walking off, quite nervously.

"That dumb bitch is lettin' the fuzzballs walk around without control collars now, I'm gonna hafta 'ave another talk with 'er." He grumbles.

.oO(I think I felt what Genra was talking about, but the power I sensed from him was actually rather weak. Could it be that aside from their mind-control technology and potent appetite for negative emotion, that they really aren't that strong of a creature?)

"Hey, the mistress' tent is _that way_." A random kitsune guard corrects the wandering twin-tail who is quickly awoken from thought.

.oO(They expect me to go to her, I guess I'd better do it. I just hope the others will be okay) He thinks to himself a bit more before finding himself in front of the biggest tent of all in the encampment.

Tails stands at the opening of it, seeing what appears to be Mobians kneeling at the sides of the opening. Taking a gulp of apprehension before stepping in, he then notices the large dark blue lady kitsune laying on her side with two other lesser kitsune tending to her.

"So, you've come..." She states to Tails.

"You were expecting me?" Tails asks out of curiosity.

"You may have my guards fooled, but I know you and the other hybrids are here... I had, however, expected you sooner." She says before sitting up and motioning the other multi-tailed beings away. "Leave us." She then stands, her six tails swaying seemingly at random behind her.

Tails silently curses himself, now finding him alone with this considerable foe and begins to really hope the others find a way to make it to him before it's too late.

"So, you are a holy type, or so they say... something I never thought I would get to see with my own eyes." She says, looking at him with her purple eyes.

"What do you mean?" He questions.

"Don't you know? Your energy type is legendary, making up less than 1% of all kitsune throughout history. Holy energy is both revered and feared in our society because it is fabled to have no limits and now I get to see it with my own eyes." She says with a slight grin.

Tails stands, at a loss for words, trying to figure out just what she is up to.

"Join us..." She states simply before adding. "You will become a part of the greatest army in the universe."

Tails scowls a bit. "You're representing a species that murders innocents by the billions. I'll have nothing to do with that."

"Ahh... so you know about _them_ as well." She adds with a narrowing of her elliptical pupils. "Perfect."

"I'm willing to bet that there's much you don't know about them. They are the greatest warrior race in history, weak by themselves, but their brilliance has led them to become the catalyst of the greatest victories in the entirety of known history." She continues on.

"I don't care how great you think they are, I won't have anything to do with the universe's greatest parasite." Tails retorts.

"You don't understand, it's not like _that_ at all. You've seen but a minor glimpse of their greatness. You don't realize just how successful they are as a species, they take so-called greater civilizations and bring them to their knees from the inside. This technique has allowed them to propagate sections of entire galaxies and have wealth beyond imagination. Even the greatest of kitsune conquerors has to have respect for that kind of ability." She drones on, this much only aggravating Tails.

"Mobius will be their greatest mistake, trying to take us over will be their undoing. You should not feel anything but pity for such a great threat to all that is right in this universe." Tails says with growing confidence.

"Oooh... I see... you really think you can make a difference, don't you? You've been letting that idiot fill your head with absurd ideas. Freedom is but an illusion and your continued existence is only because others let you live. You should **know your place**." She says with a frown.

"My place... what would you know about _my place_? I'd wager you'd never done anything of your own volition in your whole life. You're not one to lecture me about my place... because not even I know what that is and I am the only one that truly determines it." He strikes a stance.

"I see... I was hoping I could convince you with words but it's obvious someone as thick as you can only learn from force." She says as her deep blue aura begins to swirl around her. "Let's see just how well that attitude serves you." She says before a blinding flash of light encompasses them, when it fades the two appear to be standing in the middle of a rocky field with several massive crystal shards, each one containing a fearful looking hybrid or kitsune. Duke, Darrien, and Fiona were all there, trapped in these shards, alongside Genra.

"You win, you all go free... you lose, they all die." She says simply which causes Tails to flare up with his sparkling white aura.

.oO(No, she has all of them... I must win, I have to find a way to beat her!)

Within a blink of an eye, she is suddenly within inches of him and gives him a blow to the gut, taking his breath away and stumbling back, ending up on his rear.

"Ugh!" He cries out as he doubles over in pain.

"Hah, one blow and you're already on the ground. Is this really the legendary power of the holy aura? Disappointing..." She says beginning to slowly walk up to him confidently. Tails struggles to get back to his feet, panting heavily from the blow. He tenses up and charges up, his bright aura flickering violently around him.

"Let's try that again." He says and right as he's about to attack the other she suddenly vanishes from view. "What?" He questions in surprise, looking around to find her right as he feels a sharp blow to the back of his head, the tall kitsune vixen standing confidently behind him. Tails hits the ground and slides a short distance, muzzle down in the dirt.

"Child's play, I feel like I'm fighting a wee baby... but then again you can't be more than 20 years of age, can you?" She says mockingly to him, turning around to face him as he once again struggles up to his feet and flares his aura once more.

"That's right, it's your move, come at me!" She taunts him.

He charges right at her and lands a sharp kick to the side of her head with a raised leg. She does nothing to stop and seems to not feel a single bit of the force behind it. She backhands him and knocks him away with ease.

"What the matter with you, do you not realize that you and your friend's lives are on the line? Your strikes and your energy have no ferocity. What makes you think you can stand a chance if you don't even attack me with everything you have!?"

Tails quickly regains his composure and strikes out at the vixen again, this time missing her entirely as she quickly side-steps the blow. His fist barreling into a large rock next to her, shattering it to pieces. He recoils, looking to his hand surprised by the lack of pain in it.

"Yes, now you begin to see... strike at me with all your fury or I'll turn your friends into dust!" She says holding a ball of dark blue energy in the direction of the encapsulated kitsune and hybrids.

"Don't you dare!" He calls out, just to see her launch the ball of energy. Tails' heart stops for a moment as he looks onward toward the others, hesitating for a moment before charging at the ball of energy, getting behind it and managing to pry it off of its course, slapping it away with his tails as he does a quick spin.

"That's right, a kitsune's tails are their strongest feature." A voice suddenly echoes in his head, as Genra speaks to him telepathically. "Remember what I taught you... she can be beaten if you truly believe it in your heart. Our lives are in your hands now."

She cackles out and launches out several more balls of energy toward him and the crystals. Tails feels something within him changing, growing more confident. "I can beat her!" He calls out, beginning to effortlessly bat away the incoming energy with his arms and his tails.

Having used the distraction to get behind him once more to get behind him, this time, the fox notices it and manages to block in what would've been a devastating blow to the back of his neck. She turns, looking to her eye to eye as he struggles to hold off her attack before she ultimately jumps back and holds a grin.

"That look in your eyes, I like it... it suits you well." She calls out to him, noticing his now vertically-slitted eyes with a look of great resolve buried within. Tails wastes no time in lashing out at the kitsune again. She tries to make another quick dodge but is choked up by a sudden change in Tails' form, successfully delivering a punch to the core of her chest and causing her to slide back.

"That... actually hurt." She says aloud, rubbing the spot between her breasts with a hand. "Don't get cocky, it was just a lucky hit!" The dark blue kitsune calls out.

"I don't think so!" He comes up, nearly upon her as he lashes out with growing speed. His aura brighter than ever as he comes up, giving an uppercut to her jaw, spinning around and grabbing her by the throat with his tails; ultimately slamming her to the ground behind him with his tails wrapped firmly around her throat. The vixen clearly struggling as he lands just beside her.

"Let my friends go..." He demands to her.

"You still... haven't won this." She says to him from her choked position upon the ground.

"Have it your way!" He says before looming over her, she desperately tries to kick out of the grasp, even resorting to wrapping some of her own tails around his.

"If she escapes now, young one, she will kill all of us... use the techniques that I've shown you to end this now." The ominous voice from his dream says once again to the young twin-tail telepathically. Tails hesistates with her one the ground, which quickly is changed as she pries her way back up, beginning to loosen his grip with her own efforts.

"Do it now!" He hears once again in the familiar voice before Tails pushes all his power forward toward his fists and begins a sudden assault to her muzzle, chest, and belly with punches of incredible speed. The blows each strong enough to break a Mobian's bones and physically shaking her with each thrust. The blows rapidly land around 30 times before he stops, looking a bit on in horror as she spits up blood and lets her drop to the ground from his tails.

She lies gasping and cringing in pain before somehow managing to get back to her feet, struggling much less than he would've expected. Tails gets a concerned look on his face.

.oO(She can still get up, what do I do now?) He thinks to himself with no immediate response.

Her aura flickers a bit in an unstable manner before blowing Tails back away from her with a powerful gust caused by it by a loud crack of an invisible explosion.

"Damn it, I used my best attack and she can still stand..." He says aloud to himself. "Wait, there is one more."

"So, you can be brutal when the time comes... you shouldn't have been able to even strike me, but yet, you far exceed the power of a class 2 kitsune... but I needn't worry, you still don't have what it takes to finish me." She says before being caught by a fit of coughing. "Well then, come at me and I will show you what I can really do!"

"I don't want to..." Tails looks away, letting his aura begin to fade down.

"What!? You'd dare power down in front of me, do you take me for a fool!?" She calls out to him angrily.

"This battle is pointless... it doesn't prove anything," Tails says. "It's very difficult to put my hands up to a woman like this, even a strong one like you. So I'm stopping this battle right now." The comparably short hybrid calls out.

"Fool lay down your arms and you're all goners!" She calls out before charging at him once again, full speed when suddenly she stops, coming to a screeching halt just before him. Something having just caught her attention, the look in his eyes once again. His body may have refused to move but his demeanor was solid. She looks down into his eyes, seeing the look of a truly confident man.

She steps back and lets her own aura fade, staring into those orbs of confidence and fidelity.

"What's the matter, weren't you going to kill me?" He says to her, holding his firm gaze.

She then shakes off the effect the gaze seems to have upon her and calls out angrily. "No twin-tail can ever mock me!" She says as her power spikes violently, the very ground beginning to shake beneath them with rocks of the surrounding area breaking and being pried up by the force of her aura.

Her power sends a shiver down Tails' spine and it's then that he realizes that if he doesn't go with everything he's got now, he'll likely get vaporized by the other's power. He tenses and flares his aura as brightly as he can, it in turn pushing against the vixen kitsune's, the two auras seemingly locked in a dance for domination as the residual damage around them grows.

"I don't care how strong you are, I will stop anyone that threatens my friends even if it costs me my life!" He calls out, his fur itself beginning to glow white at its tips as he pushes deeper for power than he ever has before.

It's then the vixen lashes out at him with a snarl of fury. Going for the twin-tails' throat with her claws but it misses quite profoundly as Tails jumps up into the air and begins to curl up and spin, Sonic-style. His spin quickly grows to incredible speed and launches out from mid-air against the blue kitsune.

She puts her arms up defensively and is pushed back a great distance from the other's attack. smashing through the tall rocks with a cry of frustration. His aura nearly cutting into her own as he struggles against her in the spinning attack.

.oO(If I let up even a little bit, they all die!) Tails thinks to himself as he continues his assault which grows even stronger, his aura arcing out definitely as he drives her back with sheer force.

He finishes his roll, breaking out with a defiant double kick to her torso which sends her flying back at incredible speed, smashing through the rocks much quicker and burying her into the side of a small mountain.

Tails pants and falls to his knees, feeling incredibly drained after putting so much force into that attack.

"So this is the power of the Mobian hybrid..." The half-rubble laden vixen says to herself amidst she says weakly, brushing the rubble from her and weakly standing up, her ears and six tails which had stood proudly, now falling away. "Still just a baby in scale and yet he can fight evenly with me, a class 6 kitsune. What Itan told me about them was true, I should have listened." She says before falling down onto her front-side in the rubble.

It's then that another flash of light engulfs the area before fading away once again to see them both standing in the tent as if nothing had just happened.

A brief moment passes as the two look at each other shocked before the vixen falls to her knees silently, looking to the floor.

"I don't know what just happened..." Tails shakes head.

"You're free to go, I can't stop you." Contessa, the dark blue kitsune says with a hint of shame.

Indeed Tails hears some commotion outside and he turns to run out into the daylight and find out what's going on.

"There he is, he's still alive!" Darrien points to Tails, while the others all run up near to him.

"What's going on? We were fighting with the guards and then suddenly they just let us go without putting up a fight." Fiona says to Tails

"That Draconian is gone, though, we can't find him anywhere," Duke adds.

"She must've told him telepathically to escape while we locking horns," Tails says.

"What do you mean, I didn't hear any commotion beside our own, nor did I feel any real power signatures up here." The rat hybrid tells Tails.

Tails then turns around and peer back into the tent with nobody apparently present in it. "I'm not sure... somehow we fought, but it was like it never even took place."

"Yeah, like that makes any sense." Fiona quips with a roll of her eyes.

"Let's get out of here before the guards change their minds," Darrien adds beginning to power up and float into the air, with Fiona and Duke doing likewise.

"You go ahead without me... I will meet you back at that village." Tails says before walking back into the tent.

"What is he doing?" Duke questions.

"Who knows, he managed to survive whatever happened in there, he should be fine," Fiona says dismissingly and with that, they fly back off toward the village.

Tails then walks back toward the tent, looking around cautiously, still able to feel the presence of a kitsune.

"I know you're still here..." Tails calls out.

"Why didn't you leave when you had the chance?" Her voice calls out.

"Because as long as you still intend to follow those alien reptiles, my job here isn't finished." He explains.

Suddenly the vixen and the two servants reappear at the side of the tent. "So, you're still not content with what you've accomplished..."

"Come with me, there's no need for you to stay here..." He offers to her with an outstretched hand. "Face it, you have no future with the Draconians, they're merely using you to their own end." He explains, looking to her once again, this time with a lighter expression.

"So be it, but know that I will come and go as I please..." She replies to him.

"Fine then... and you should probably bring your eh, friends, along with you. They're not safe here either."

"I had thought of that before." She says, looking to the smaller males at either side of her.

"Alright then, I'm sure you'll know where to find me." Tails adds finally before stepping out and flying away, heading back toward the previous village to the south.

A moment passes before the kitsune and her smaller servants step out of the tent.

"Mistress, are you really planning on accompanying that hybrid?" One of the males besides her ask.

"Holy aura or not, I must find out his secrets." She explains before powering up in her deep blue aura and picking them both up with it as she flies on in the direction of Tails, trailing a considerable distance behind.

.oO(Those moves he used, it looks a lot like _**Ken o odorimasu**_. How could he know something like that? The way he carries himself, his techniques and the intensity of his power; he reminds me of someone long past...) She ponders idly to herself as she flies along before a surprised look comes over her features as a familiar image enters her mind. .oO(Genra!? Could it be that he's still alive?)

She remembers about the rouge kitsune scientist that was banished from the capital city of their dimension for his 'radical ideas' of creating genetically perfect hybrid kitsune. It's then that she realizes Tails must be his work and is the key to finding him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

Orbiting out in space, just behind the moon lies a large spaceship. Its presence is unknown to the others but its influence will soon be known the world over.

"Status report on those energies on the surface." A large, white-scaled Draconian calls down to his science officers.

"At last apex, there were four class 3 entities, two class 4 entities and a single class 6 on the surface in the lower density realm." The lesser reptilian reports.

The white dragon clasps his long-digit hands together as he sits in the raised captain's chair. "I see, and the progress with the many-tailed adversaries?"

"Their middle-class is almost completely sold on our ideals. It will not be long before the council and the class 10 entities will be under our control."

"Excellent," the larger Draconian says with a cackle.

"Sir, what are the orders for the assault team?" Another one steps up with a bow, to ask.

The white-scaled leader reaches back to a side pocket on his chair and holds up a small vial of an odd liquid. "Proceed as planned… bring all class 5 and greater entities back to the rendezvous point and instruct officer Black to bring me the elderly interloper, I have a special plan for him."

"Yes, sir!" The soldier offers before standing up before running elsewhere to the ship.

"So, these hybrids have become a formidable force. It's time to fight fire with fire, and the old coot will give me exactly what I need. We will soon have our own super soldiers and then, not even the kitsune themselves will be able to withstand us." He adds with a dark chuckle.

Back upon the surface of the Mobian dimension, the four hybrids, and the now rogue kitsune meet up on the outskirts of the village where Duke had recovered.

"So, what do we do now?" Darrien asks.

"I guess we just have to find the other hybrids." Tails says with a confused rub of the back of his head.

"They could be anywhere, how will we ever be able to find them?" Fiona adds impatiently

"I believe I can help you there." Contessa, the dark blue kitsune tells them as she hovers just within earshot of the conversation.

"Why should we trust _you_?" Duke calls out, taking a step closer toward her.

"Because I am now perfectly disposable to the Draconians. If I didn't help you, my own survival will be at stake." She explains simply.

"Ridiculous, first she was telling Tails that she was going to wipe us all out. Now she's saying she wants us to cover her tails!" Duke retorts.

"What do you make of this, Tails?" Darrien asks the twin-tail.

Tails stops and walks up next to the kitsune and looks her square in the eyes once again. After a moment of searching for her thoughts, he simply nods and walks back over to the others.

"We can trust her, she has no real motives. This all must be as much of a shock to her as it is ourselves." Tails replies.

"How will having _her_ help even be beneficial to us?" Fiona asks with a bit of sarcasm.

"As it was explained to me by Genra, pure-blooded kitsune have a greater sense of their own kind than we do. We can only detect them from short distances but she can track them down over most of the world." Tails explains to her.

"That settles it then, let's get going," Darrien says before powering up, the others doing likewise as they prepare to follow the kitsune wherever they lead them. The bunch then shoot off to the north, taking a high altitude for a long flight.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on Mobius stands the lone protector of the Master Emerald on the Floating Island at the base of the staircase with two other echidnae standing by his side. So far it's been a typical, quiet day but something is visibly bothering Knuckles.

"What is it, Knux?" One of the others asks.

"It's nothing..." He states in reply, having the odd feeling that they were being watched.

It's then he looks to the sky and notices something odd about the sky above them, he can almost make out the signs of something moving, so kind of unnatural mirroring going on in the horizon. It's just then that a dark figure appears in the sky, floating down rapidly toward the island and landing about 100 feet away with a thud.

The figure is none other than the kitsune from the Mammoth Casino, his numerous tails flaring out as he looks wordlessly to the three before him.

"Who are you and what are you doing in this sacred spot?" Knuckles breaks the silence after about a minute and begins walking toward him.

The other looks on quietly before suddenly making his intentions known with once quick action. He moves past knuckles and knocks out the two other echidnae with one blink of an eye. The two bodies falling to the ground.

"What, how dare you!?" Knuckles turns around to see the two others down. "You're going to pay for that!" The echidna charges upon the kitsune, spiked knuckles out and ready. He quickly bridges the gap and swings out wide in a big punch which the kitsune quickly subdues with one hand.

Knuckles grows furious and continues swinging wildly at the kitsune, who easily blocks and dodges every blow thrown at him, a confident grin in his features.

"Child's play..." He says merely before offering a flick to the forehead to the echidna, causing him to be pushed back several feet from it, a trail of blood leaking from the new wound.

"What, how?" The echidna feels over the wound and the blood trailing from it.

"All those muscles and still so brittle." The kitsune says to him mockingly.

"What is it that you want?" The echidna calls out.

"Just your emerald, that's all." The dark-furred one calls out.

"Over my dead body!" Knuckles calls out before charging at the other once again.

"That can be arranged." The other says before charging in himself.

The two rapidly begin to move in a dance of fury, the kitsune entertaining himself as he trades blows with Knuckles, the kitsune clearly having the upper hand and landing one final punch to his maw which puts the echidna on the ground several feet back.

"How can this be..." He says weakly amidst coughing up blood. "My fists are the hardest on Mobius, but his feel like they're made of steel. No… it's even more than that." He grunts, struggling back up to his feet.

The kitsune stands, his fists engulfed in equally black energy, revealing to the echidna his true advantage.

"I will admit, you're pretty tough for a Mobian, but that's all the praise you're worth." He says before giving a sonic kick to his side, making Knuckles cry out as he falls back down, rolling several times from the blow. "Now be a good little insect and hand over the emerald. Heh, not like you actually have a choice." The dark one mocks with matching laughter.

"D-Damn it!… I have to… stop this guy." Knuckles grunts out as he tries to stand once more.

"Stubborn idiot, how more outclassed do you have to be before you realize that you're done in."

"I told you… I will protect the emerald with my life." Knuckles says, cringing as he takes a stance once again and puts up his fists.

"So be it." The kitsune says with a scowl, putting out one hand flatly, glowing with the dark energy just as before. Knuckles finds the strength to finally charge before coming to a sudden halt as he looks up to the sky, a large set of doors opening amidst the sky, showing some kind of cargo hold.

A beam shines down over the emerald and it begins to float up toward the craft. The large gem is easily plucked from its pedestal by the mostly invisible energy.

"No!" Knuckles calls out as he makes one final desperate charge, only to be cut short by a sudden blow to the back of his neck, being effectively disabled just like the two others.

It's then that the kitsune hops up on the floating gem, accompanying it inside of the craft as it's fully lifted up and the doors close behind it. The whole craft becomes visible then and Knuckles wakes up from the blow early, having just enough strength to look up to the sky and see the craft as another door opens up, this one having a bright green energy seemingly charging up in it.

"Damn it… Damn it, Sonic where are you!?" He cries out as the island is absorbed in the green light, resulting in a massive explosion that rattles the horizon. The entirety of the floating island blasted to mere bits. A giant cloud of smoke and particulate being the only things left over… save for a falling, battered echidna body which plummets through the air to the ocean below, being caught at the last moment, saved from certain death at the bottom of the sea.

The unknown helper flies through the air under a similar power influence to a kitsune though his looks are far from one. A mobian lizard covered in an electrified golden aura flies with the echidna in his arms, one of them being metal

The unknown Mobian finds land after several minutes of flight and swoops down, dropping Knuckles off.

"I apologize, I don't have time to tend to your wounds. Be strong, and you will survive." He says simply to the downed echidna before looking to the horizon. A flicker of his electrical aura given off as he concentrates on the faint feelings of other energies. "Don't worry, my brothers, I will set things right." He states simply before flying off in a new direction.

As the four hybrids soar through the sky, now in the frozen north of Mobius. The land below them teaming with snow and ice.

"Brrr… it's cold up here." Darrien says with his arms closed tightly over his chest as he flies along.

"Hey, fire ferret, send some of that warmth back here!" Fiona demands from Duke at the center of the formation.

"It's not my fault you're turning into a bitch-sicle," Duke replies.

"What did you say!?" Fiona replies angrily.

Tails, meanwhile near the head of the pack is focusing on the kitsune in front of them, wondering how she is doing up there.

A few more minutes pass before the groups come to a stop.

"She is down there..." Contessa points to an encampment below.

"Great, let's go!" Tails calls out before being cut short by the kitsune again.

"That's not a good idea… this tribe treats males as objects, they are committed to breeding and servitude only. None of you three would be welcome down there." She says, looking over at the males.

"Fine, I'll go then," Fiona says before flying up next to the kitsune.

"Huh, I guess we'll wait around back here," Tails says to the two.

"A regular tribe of lesbians, aside from the whole forced servitude thing, I could totally get behind that," Duke says with a chuckle before the others merely shake their head, calling him along as they head toward the snowy ground, some distance away from the camp.

Fiona meanwhile enters the camp, walking into it calmly, still a bit chilled from the cold weather. She walks up to a group of others in their winter jackets.

"I want to see the hybrid," Fiona states in a matter of fact way.

The others look to each other before one adds. "She must mean our general."

"An outsider wanting to speak to the general, absurd… you'll have to make an appointment, she can't be bothered by just anyone."

"An appointment?" Fiona scoffs dismissively before adding. "Consider it urgent."

"Look, I'm telling you to get out of here… our general doesn't have time for miscreants to pester her with outsider nonsense." The main speaker finally says, motioning for the vixen to get out.

Fiona tenses up in anger. "Miscreants, you say?" Her dark aura begins to leak out, pushing away some the snow where she stands and she begins to float. "That's certainly not what I would call the planet's last hope for survival."

The three others as well as several others in the area turn to look in Fiona's direction in awe.

"Now stop fooling around, where is she!?" Fiona speaks impatiently.

"You… you have that power too…" One gasp is given before another speaks up. "Alright, don't get testy, she's up on that hill." The woman gestures up to a lone figure standing up on the largest hill in the area.

The hybrid calms down and settles back down onto the ground before taking the long approach toward the other, which undoubtedly knows of Fiona's presence now thanks to her previous flare-up. She walks up behind the other, seeing an armor-clad lady snow leopard sitting Indian-style on a large rug.

"Another Mobian that's like me… I was beginning to suspect I was the only one." She says back to Fiona while holding her gaze ahead.

"Yes, and there are others..." She replies before asking. "So, you're a general, huh?"

"That is correct. I am the general of my tribe and the lord over my faithful servants, as well as their male peons." The elegant cat explains.

"As much as I admire the idea of males being subservient, I'm afraid that the others like me are male."

"It's comforting to know that there is at least one other truly capable being out there… as for your male friends. I have no need of them nor would I accept them as anything remotely close to equals." The feline replies.

"You should, they're strong." She adds with a deviant grin.

"Nonsense, no male swine could ever be like us." She dismisses.

"There's one male, that I wager, is stronger than you." She continues her trickery.

This causes the leopardess to jump up to her feet and growl.

"I don't care to hear your opinions on the matter… but if you're sure, then bring him to me and I shall see." She retorts with a wrinkle of her nose.

"It's just an idea… you see, we could use the help of a fine lady warrior such as yourself. If for nothing else, then to keep the boys in check." The dark aura clad hybrid speaks out.

"Tempting… but I have more pressing responsibilities here to tend to." The feline hybrid says before looking away once again.

"Well then, I guess I have no choice… I will fight you for your own subservience to me." Fiona adds with a grin, popping her knuckles.

"What, you dare come here and threaten me?" She turns toward her fully and draws her sword.

"I gave you a chance to come quietly, now we will duel… if you win, I leave here and never return… but if I win, you're coming along with me whether you like it not." Fiona adds, taking a stance.

"Very well, I accept your terms… but know this, you're going to lose!" She says before flaring up her icy-blue aura and taking a stance with her sword, the area already feeling a little bit colder.

"We'll see..." Fiona says, before flaring up her dark aura in a potent jump in strength, it cracking the ground beneath her.

"Woah, Tails are you seeing this?" Duke calls over to Tails from their hiding spot.

"I see it alright, I hope she knows what she's doing or this could be a disaster." He says, huddled closely to the flaming aura of the other to keep warm.

The two females stand readily, staring each other down with their auras flaring accordingly.

.oO(I must keep my sense of determination strong, she can't beat me if I stay focused) The vixen thinks to herself.

It's just then that the leopardess swings out with a powerful blow of her sword, which Fiona sees and jumps back just before giving a rush at her of her own. She strikes out at the others muzzle, which is quickly blocked by the flat side of the blade. The vixen then jumps back again, narrowly parrying another sonic swipe of the others sword.

The two continue their dance of attacking and dodging, all happening as quickly as the previous battles between the hybrids. The battle seeming to be a draw this far as each blow is blocked or dodged skillfully. The two jump back, still at a stance as they look each other down again.

"So this is what it's like to fight _the strong ones_ like myself." The feline says simply before leaping back in with another slash which Fiona catches between her hands and kicks the other back, sliding back several feet.

It's then that Fiona does a quick blow, throwing a fast moving wave of energy at other with her hand. The wave hits the feline and she is knocked back, almost to the point of falling down. Her awkward body posture remaining for a moment before returning to her formidable stance.

It's then that the leopardess strikes out in a quick blow with her hand, which Fiona dodges only to be caught by surprise with another slash of her sword. This one is energy backed which slashes through Fiona and slashes a tree behind her which slowly falls apart, torn in two by the swing.

"Fiona..." Tails mumbles to himself with concern.

"Don't worry about her, the look in her eyes hasn't changed. She's still as confident as ever." Darrien adds as he too watches the duel.

Fiona looks down to her side, a clean gash along her side beginning to leak blood from the attack.

.oO(It hit, but it wasn't good enough to finish me) Fiona thinks to herself, looking at the wound for a moment.

"That should've killed you!" The leopardess gasps, seeing the other still standing tall.

"I remember that you said something about the strong ones, now you see it for yourself. You're used to fighting regular Mobians, aren't you? Those rules don't apply here." Fiona says, taking a lick of the blood her hand picked up from the cut.

It's then that the vixen takes a stance again and claps the palms of her hands together, dark energy seething between both of them. She then draws them slowly apart, a black-coated, straight-bladed sword appearing the middle as she parts them. She then takes the blade into her right hand with a quick swipe.

"What the… I didn't know she could do that..." Tails mumbles before realizing that she must've been holding back the entire time in their previous fight.

Fiona then takes a side stance, her left leg stepping back and her left hand resting behind her back, as her armed right-hand takes the forefront. The look in her eyes as full of resolve as ever. The leopardess was taken aback for a moment before lashing out once again, using full force and it caught against the vixen's dark blade.

The two blades screech along each other's surface for a moment before the battle resumes, the blades quickly colliding into each other as they strike at and parry each other.

"Heh, looks like we have another swordsman, or should I say swordswomen, in our troop now," Duke remarks to Darrien.

"Potentially two," Darrien replies. "If she can hold up against the armored cat for long enough."

"The look in her eyes… it's different than when we fought, she had a hesitant look in her features, but now, she shines with determination." Tails adds from his hiding spot next to the other males.

The leopardess is knocked back once more by Fiona's blow, this time, blade to blade.

"Enough playing around, let's see how tough you really are." The feline says, her icy aura flaring up brightly and wrapping its way around her sword. The blade begins to freeze over until it looks crystalline in nature, seething with the other's energies.

"It's about time." The vixen replies, running out of patience. Her own energies swirl up into her blade and grow into a pitch-black sword-shaped cloud which flickers violently with her energies.

The leopardess then charges, swinging her blade with both hands and hits against Fiona's blade, the contact of energy making a giant snap like the sonic boom of a whip's tip. Fiona struggles to hold it but manages to block it with only one arm, the other remaining behind her back.

The other sees this and presses in with all of her might, the energy crackling and arcing between them both.

"Heh, heh heh… you're still not giving your all are you? You're afraid you'll break me." Fiona then looks up and looks into her eyes. "First rule of fighting the kitsune way, never fight with anything less than the intent to kill." She says as she powers up further, pressing down into the ground as it begins to break beneath her, her fur beginning to grow black at its tips.

The vixen begins to pry the sword off of her own with sheer strength.

"Wha-what is happening?" The leopardess calls out with shock as the other overpowers her with only one arm.

"Your resolve is failing you, that's what's happening." The vixen replies darkly, now staring down the other with black-backed golden fierce eyes, pupils elliptical and narrow against the darkness.

The leopardess leaps back in fright before giving one final slash over her sword, using her energy once again, going all in with the slash with her frustration. The blast from the sword seemingly missing the now seemingly gone hybrid in front of her. The end result of the uninterrupted slash parting all of the trees for a mile in front of her. The sudden miss and devastation causing her to become hesitant to move for a moment, giving Fiona enough change to strike her from behind with the flat of her blade, knocking the leopardess clear off of the hillside and causing her to come crashing down in the encampment below.

The soldiers jump up at arms and charge up to their general while Fiona floats down next to her. The soldiers aim their spears and swords up in Fiona's direction.

"General!" one exclaims while another questions, "What is she?" looking at the darkness-clad vixen in horror as the other three hybrids charge through the encampment, abandoning their hiding spot to rush into the action.

"Fiona!" Tails calls out to her as he arrives with the others in tow. They look up the startled other the leopardess now out cold.

"Don't worry, Tails… she's with us now." Fiona says simply, her serious demeanor turning into a smile as she looks to him with her demonic-looking eyes, still clad in her dark power. The twin-tailed fox can feel the intensity of her strength before she ultimately powers down, her black-bladed sword disappearing with the energy.

"You're… you're strong… you never showed me this in our battle." He says as the other hybrids look between them both.

"Heh, come on, **I** can do better than that," Duke says with a playful tone.

The rat retorts. "Whatever..." to the ferret hybrid before looking back to Tails and Fiona. "Well, what are we going to do now, we've got a small army between us?" He adds as the soldiers look between both the hybrid group and Fiona in confusion.

It's then that they pose their attack, the soldiers surrounding both the group and Fiona in front of them.

"You don't want to do this, you've seen what we can do," Darrien warns them softly.

"Let them go." Calls out one of the leaders of the group. "Our general couldn't even hold out against one of them and if they all have these powers, we wouldn't have a prayer." He tells them all before motioning them back. The group does so, gradually falling back and dispersing.

Fiona picks up the leopardess in her arms, prompting the captain to call to her.

"What are you going to do with her?" He questions a bit nervously.

"She has a new battle to face now," Fiona tells him before walking to the others.

"Don't worry, she's in good hands." Tails says to him reassuringly.

"But what are we supposed to do now? We'll all be in disarray without a leader..." He says with a shrug.

"Then I guess it's time to appoint a new general," Duke replies.

The four then turn around and walk out with the fifth being carried along. They then quickly power up slightly and take off into the air.

"Oh man, HQ's never going to believe me when I try to explain this." The captain says worriedly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

That night the hybrids rest outside of the village they have begun to call their home away from home. The armored leopardess is sleeping off her wounds in the doctor's house while the others huddle around a small campfire, that is, all except Fiona who seems to be keeping her distance from the others.

"What's her problem?" Duke asks the others, watching the vixen out of the corner of his eye.

"She's always been like this, even as a child, she was always a bit on the anti-social side," Tails explains.

"So you two go way back, huh?" Duke questions, looking back to Tails.

"Unfortunately, yes. As a girl, she was a pawn of Robotnik. He used her to lure me away from the freedom fighters with her charms, acting all loving toward me. I was almost roboticized because of her, but luckily the others managed to see through her charms and they got me out of the danger just before Robotnik's machines imprisoned me." The twin-tailed fox explains.

"What a bitch... did she even have any idea what she was doing?" The ferret asks in reply.

"I can _hear you_ , you know!" The vixen complains, taking a couple of steps closer.

"Good, I want you to hear me!" He replies, standing up suddenly.

"So I made some mistakes, wanna fight about it?" Fiona says threateningly.

"I'll take you on any day!" The ferret replies, flaring up in flames.

Tails jumps up and gets between them.

"There no need for this! If anyone has a beef with her, it should be me." The male fox explains. "...and I wager that's she's paid for that mistake quite heavily already."

Fiona rolls her eyes and turns her back to them, trying to maintain her tough facade.

The ferret calms down and reclaims his seat before Darrien speaks up.

"You look kind of bothered yourself, Tails. What's on your mind?" The rat swordsman asks.

Tails turns to look back to the others. "Unfinished business... so to speak."

"What do you mean by that?" One of the others asks.

"I have to deal with Mammoth Mogul, it was a task given to me by King Sonic. He managed to escape last time I found him and I am not sure where he could be now." The twin-tail adds.

Darrien nods. "I'm not sure who this is but it must be important if a king gave you this responsibility."

"I'm willing to bet that he's still in the Country of Acorn somewhere... and if there's anyone who would know where he's hiding; it would be her." He says, looking over to Fiona once again.

"How would she know?" Duke questions.

"She was working for him." Tails replies simply.

"Shit, once a bad guy, always a bad guy... er, gal." The ferret complains.

Fiona then suddenly turns around and starts walking away.

"Where the hell are you going!?" Duke calls out again.

"I'm going to take care of Mammoth with my bare hands... and _don't_ try to follow me!" She growls out before her dark aura appears, matching the darkness of the night and flying off in the distance.

"What shall we do?" Darrien then asks as the others look off to the dark horizon.

"I guess we leave it to her," Tails says before turning back to the others. "Besides, we have another hybrid to find."

"Do we _really_ have to find all of us?" Duke asks annoyed.

"No, but accord to the prophecy, there's only going to be 3 survivors. The more we have on our side, the less likely that's going to happen."

"What about the cat?" Darrien asks.

"We have to wait until she's rested, besides we have no way of finding the other hybrid without Contessa." Tails replies.

"I feel another nearby." Darrien suddenly adds as something catches his attention.

The other two then turn toward a different direction as a familiar old kitsune drops in.

"Genra, I was wondering if you were going to show up," Tails says as Darrien grabs the hilt of his sword.

"It's okay, Darrien, he's my friend." The rat nods quietly before relaxing once again.

"I have grave news, my friend." The old man states. "The Floating Island where the master emerald is kept has been completely destroyed."

The others look shocked.

"The emerald itself is missing, I can only suspect that this is the Draconian's doing." The elder kitsune explains.

"What on Mobius would they want with the emerald?" Darrien questions the elder.

"They're likely using it as a great power source," Genra says.

"With a power source that deep, there's no telling what they're going to be capable of." Tails mumbled aloud. "I only wish I'd have thought of that, we could have protected it." Tails curses himself and looks down.

"You can't be everywhere at once, my friend, nor can I. There're things happening in this world as we speak that we're not there to defend. It's an unfortunate part of life." The elder comforts the twin-tail. "Eh, by the way, where is the shadow hybrid? I could sense her around here earlier but she seems far away now."

"She's taken it upon herself to deal with Mammoth Mogul, or so it seems." Tails replies.

"I see, well we must not worry about that now, there is something pressing that needs our attention back in our dimension. The Draconians have started a coup against the council, and despite their power, they are unable to stop them due to the Draconians heavy political influence. The council seems to only be squabbling amongst themselves without proper direction." Genra explains to the others.

"Odd, you're talking about high-class kitsune, aren't you? How can we make a difference in that?" The hybrid fox asks.

"You've already proven you can stand against a class 6 pure-blood kitsune by yourself when you stood against the blue female. If you all come, you may be able to handle one even stronger... besides, Tails, you're needed for your direction as a leader... not your brute force."

"Alright, I'll do what I can but..." The young fox hesitates. "We're down two, and we can't leave the leopardess here by herself."

"I'll watch over her, you three should go. Tails knows the way, just follow him." The elder says before walking over toward the medical house. "Please hurry, things are getting worse by the moment." He says looking back to them before entering the house.

"Damn, we could really use Contessa's help right about now... but it's up to us." Duke states.

The three agree then power up and shoot off in the direction of the temple in the Downunda jungle.

"Wait, couldn't he just teleport us?" The ferret asks as they fly.

"One of us, yes, but I don't think he could do all three of us," Tails says back to Duke.

"No time for chat, let us hurry," Darrien calls out to the others.

The three fly on through the night, the sun rising in the direction they fly.

"I'm kinda nervous, I've never been to the other dimension before," Duke says.

"I didn't even know there was another one, but it seems our friend has been there before," Darrien says, motioning up toward Tails who leads the pack.

"I don't know what's going on there, nor do I think they'll take hybrids seriously... but if Genra thinks we can make a difference, then I'm all for it." Tails calls back to the others as they fly on over the expansive jungle.

Another hour passes and then Tails comes to a sudden stop, looking down onto the golden-shod building down below, just barely sticking up from the tall trees of the jungle.

"It's down here." Tails calls back to the others as they stop behind him.

The three then land down in front of the building. Tails powers down and looks around for the switch around the doorway, looking for several minutes before finally finding it.

"Ah, here it is." He states as he pushes in the loose brick, causing the heavy door to open and motioning the others to come in with him. Tails flares up his aura enough to create some light, the others doing likewise as they walk into the dark corridor of the ancient building. The inside seems oddly undecorated for an old building except for one large archway that stands in the middle of the biggest room directly inside.

"This is it, we just have to use our power while we stand in the archway and it'll bring up to the other dimension." The twin-tailed one explains as he steps up into the archway, flaring his power a little more before suddenly vanishing into thin air.

"Uhhh... okay..." Duke says before stepping up next under the archway. "Here goes nothing!" He says, flaming his power before also being zapped out of the building. Darrien then does the same and arrives with the other two standing on the outskirts of an ancient-looking city that is still buzzing with life. All of them fox-like, some with multiple tails and all of them checkered, spotted or otherwise splattered with various colors in their fur.

The citizens eye the others warily as they step up into the bounds of the city, especially Tails who looks a lot like them, minus the extravagant colorfulness.

"So this is it," Darrien mumbles aloud.

"I've never seen so many foxes in my life..." Duke mumbles as well before being rattled by an explosion that echoes out from the large tower in the center of the city.

"What was that?" Darrien looks over in the distance to see the smoke.

"Come on, we've got to hurry!" Tails calls back to them before powering up once again and flying off in the direction of the tower. The other two follow suit, looking around curiously as they fly over the city before being taken aback by the feel of power directly ahead of them.

Tails flies through a large crack in the building and lands down in what looks like an ornate courtroom. Standing in the middle of the room are several many-tailed kitsune who are dueling with each other, creating quite a mess of the room as others hunker down in the corners while others find ways to escape the maelstrom.

"Stop it, what are you doing!?" Tails calls out in frustration trying to run toward them before suddenly being knocked back by none other than two giant Draconians.

"This doesn't concern you, runt, get out of here before we squash you."

The twin-tailed fox flares up to full power and strikes one of the giant reptilians square against the head with flying kick, causing him to fall to the side forcefully.

"I don't know what you're doing here, but I don't have time to play with you." Tails calls out before giving a kick to the gut of the other, pushing him back and causing him to cringe with pain.

"Why you little shit, who do you think you're dealing with here?" The doubled-over reptilian questions before taking another hit by Duke, charred somewhat by his flames in turn. Darrien landing next to him with his sword ready.

It's just then that the dueling pair come to a stop, one atop the other, both having fans of tails, eight of them. They continue to struggle against each other before being consumed by another large explosion, knocking them apart.

"I won't let you do this!" The primarily yellow calls out to the other. "I won't let you sell out our kind!" He says before powering up his matching colored aura and charging the other once more.

The pair is then suddenly cut short by Tails standing in between them, his white aura rippling.

"Enough! I don't know what's going on here but trying to murder each other isn't going to solve anything." He calls out to them both.

"What, who the hell is this kid?" One of them questions as the other states. "No weakling child is going to get in my way." The gray kitsune flies up at Tails instead and lashes out at his face, the twin-tail narrowly managing to catch his fist and force him down on his knees, his aura flickering brightly against the other.

"You don't know what you're messing with kid! The fate of our world is in our hands." He calls out as he jumps back, breaking Tails' grip.

"Look, I admire what you're trying to do, but you're just intruding here." The yellowish kitsune calls out to him. "Get out of the way before yourself hurt!"

Tails clenches his teeth and begins to power up further, pressing his limit once again as he cries out. "If force is the only thing you'll listen to, then I'll make you listen!"

He pushes forth with a spiraling balls of power in both hand, pointed at both of them.

"That's enough from all of you!" Another voice suddenly calls out, another kitsune, this time mostly red with a total of nine tails states, clad in regal apparel; with another Draconian at his side. "Power down now or I'll destroy all three of you!"

Two other Draconians suddenly appear and wraps themselves around the other two hybrids.

"What the heck!" Duke calls out, Darrien grunting in pain as they're both squeezed.

Tails then powers down, as the two others that were skirmishing does as well.

"This heathen is trying to insist that these reptiles are here for our own good!" The yellow one calls out toward the nine tail, pointing to the other.

"That's because they are." The red, regal kitsune quickly replies before tapping his golden staff upon the ground. A giant red hand suddenly reaching up through the floor and holding the yellow captive as the gray one brushes himself off.

"What, are you nuts? I thought kitsune prided themselves on their self-sufficiency!" Tails calls out.

"Listen, youngster, I don't know who you are, but you should mind your own business. This is a dawn of a new age with two highly advanced species coupling together to create one great empire. We don't have time for riff-raff to try to force their opinions. The decision's already been made." The red kitsune says with a chuckle.

"What? No!" Tails says before flaring back up again, his aura arcing brightly and his fur tips glowing as he goes all out once again.

"You runt, who do you think you are? You're just a half-breed, aren't you? I suppose it's only natural for you to be lacking in sense." The nine tail says mockingly. "Get rid of him." He adds before turning to walk out of the room with his larger companion in tow.

The trapped kitsune still struggles to get free, as do the two other hybrids, bound firmly by their captors as the gray kitsune walks up next to Tails.

"Great, I even have an order for it now. I can exterminate you with a clear conscience." He says with a chuckle before powering up again, two more reptilian soldiers closing the gap between themselves and Tails as well.

.oO(Great, I don't think I can get out of this one. A class eight and two of those behemoths, plus Darrien and Duke unable to help.)

The gray kitsune pulls back for an attack and Tails cringes, preparing to block however much of it he can, only to not feel anything. He looks up in a bit of confusion and sees the giant reptiles backing up as the gray kitsune stands there with a conflicted look on his face, looking as if in pain.

The reason why suddenly becoming apparent as a large gaping slash, accompanied with a splatter of blood occurs upon the assailant. The kitsune falls to his knees and cringes as Tails looks around astonished at who could've possibly done that.

As the kitsune collapses, he sees standing behind her none other than the leopardess from before.

"Foolish, coming to a place like this without a plan." She states simply before turning around to face Tails. "Men, always rushing in first without thinking." She adds before taking the sword and thrusting it down into the grieving kitsune, causing him to be still. This causes the other two nearby reptiles to jump into the fray in a panic, only to be cut down easily by the swords-woman.

Tails gazes upon the bandaged cat. "What are you doing, you're still injured." More concerned with her state of health rather than how in the world she knew how to get there.

"Hah, this is nothing." She says as she shakes some of the blood off of her sword onto the ground. "Who's next?"

The two remaining reptilians clutch onto the hybrids tightly, who struggle for their freedom. The leopardess and Tails then turn toward them and run over in their direction. It's then that the large reptiles let go of the the two hybrids and make a leap of faith out of the break in the wall.

"Hah, and they're supposed to be the greatest warriors in the universe." The icy feline muses.

The remaining kitsune in the room have all fled amongst the commotion aside from one mother and her child. The four-tailed mother stands up, holding her single-tailed child as she watches the others.

"Wh-what's going to happen to us now?" She questions the hybrids from her spot nearby.

"I don't know, but I for one am going after that guy." Tails says to her.

"That guy is a chancellor of the council, be careful." She says to him simply before running out of the room to safety.

"You heard her, let's all go and make an example of that traitor!" The feline says, raising her sword again. Tails nods and look to the others.

"Between all of us that bastard doesn't stand a chance," Duke says with a raised fist.

The unified hybrids then run on in the direction the red kitsune left in, getting ready as much as they can for what could be a significant altercation.

"You realize, that I was only able to beat the eight-tail so easily because I got the drop on him. We won't have that advantage when we face against the chancellor." The female feline says.

"Yeah, I know... uh, by the way, what's your name?" Tails asks her.

"My name is Leena." She replies.

"Nice to meet you, Leena." Tails replies.

"Don't bother with the formalities, this could be our last conversation." The ice-aura feline replies.

The four of them make their way up several flights of marble stairs before they stand out on the roof, equally as ornate as the rest of the building where they find a spaceship hovering above it, just like the one that had destroyed the Floating Island.

The reptilian is floating upward toward it in a beam of light as the nine-tailed one turns toward them defiantly.

"Fools, you should have escaped while you had the chance!" He laughs. "Now you're all going to be pulverized to mere atoms."

"Is that a threat?" Leena questions him as a door opens on the spacecraft above and a large burst of energy is shot down toward the hybrids. They all instantly power up and brace themselves as it thrashes down harshly, bringing the entirety of the tower down to the ground with a large rumble and explosion.

The masses are appalled as the event happens, some of them even try to fire back at the massive craft although most of them aren't strong enough to penetrate the shields of the craft at all as the chancellor laughs, floating high above the wreckage.

"Wait until the rest of them get back and see their precious tower ruined and me nowhere to be found. It's glorious!" The red kitsune boasts as another beam shines down around him, beginning to pull him up to the ship as well.

A moment passes, all seeming to be lost before a ray of light flickers amongst the wreckage and Tails, now dusty and injured, but still very much alive shoots out of the rubble and into the sky, aura in full bloom, closing in on the floating kitsune and powering up a sizable blast of energy.

"No, you don't!" He calls out as he hurls the energy up at the fleeing kitsune, just missing him and hitting the blast doors that close behind him. It's then that the craft flickers oddly before flying off into the distance at an incredible speed, heading out toward space.

"Damn it!" Tails curses out before flying back down to the wreckage, moving the stone boulders out of his way as he looks for the others amidst the mess.

They slowly appear, also badly dirtied and somewhat injured but alive and well, even Leena, who already had wounds, now reopened and bleeding into her bandages. They meet up to the hovering Tails, who looks up to the sky with dismay.

"Is everyone alright?" Darrien calls out to the others.

"Yeah, I'm good," Duke replies.

"Not bad... all things considered," Leena replies holding a wound.

"Far from it." Tails replies. "They got away and now the tower of the council is in ruins."

"Speaking of that, where the hell is the rest of the council?" Duke calls out.

"That's a good question," Leena replies.

"Not likely in a good situation, we've got to figure what happened here," Tails says before looking back down in the wreckage, sensing someone down below despite the others that are now surrounding the rubble in horror of the event.

"I think the other member is alive down there, let's go help him out." Tails says to the others before flying down toward one particular pile of rubble.

"Since when is he the leader?" Duke protests.

"Don't worry about it, we should discuss that later," Darrien says before flying down to Tails.

Leena remains indifferent and lands down near an open space as the rat and the twin-tail find the yellow kitsune in the rubble of the tower, is much worse shape than they are.

"Are you okay? ...dumb question." Tails says down to the crushed kitsune.

"Please, if you can, tell us what happened to the council," Darrien says taking a paw of the badly injured kitsune.

"They... were all summoned... to issues in different parts of the world. I... was skeptical so I remained behind. Now... I'm glad I did but... it has cost me... my life." He says weakly.

"Hold on, it's going to be alright, just hold on!" Tails says down to him.

"No... it's too late... for me. Please... please stop Chancellor Zachariah. You must... before he... makes contact with... A... A... Asell..." He continues trying to speak amidst the incredible pain and ultimately loses consciousness.

"Asell? Asell who?" Darrien asks, now looking back up to Tails who looks visibly shaken, having just witnessed a kitsune who fought the good fight perish before his eyes. Overwhelmed by a feeling that he hadn't felt since he was a child, that consuming darkness from the feeling of loss. He sighs for a moment before standing firm.

"I will avenge you... I promise." Tails calls out to the yellow kitsune before flying off to meet with Leena. Darrien hesitantly does likewise.

The hybrids assist the others in the beginnings of the cleanup of the tower, spending all day moving the rubble with their power and the assistance of anti-gravity machinery for the largest pieces. The job was still only about 10% done by the time nightfall had arrived in that dimension. The other hybrids have found safe spots to sleep, but Tails was still awake, walking through a quiet meadow in a park amidst the moonlight. Only a few kitsune were still out this late and Tails seemed oblivious regardless, as he stared out to the dark horizon, lost in thought.

"I was hoping to never feel that again... but it's different this time. It's not the loss of one I'm mourning. It's something more, something much bigger. I don't understand why I feel this way."

Tails clenches his teeth as he looks down before getting down on his knees, tears beginning to flow from his eyes.

"Why, why does it hurt so much?" He says to himself quietly.

"Ascension is never pleasant." A feminine voice calls out to him calmly.

Tails blinks and looks up, not expecting anybody notice him. "What do you mean?" He calls out as he wipes his eyes, looking up to a lady kitsune in a bright kimono, with only one tail apparent behind her.

"You're wanting to change the world, right? Not just anybody can do that, my dear." She replies in a soothing tone to him.

"Yes, I want for there to be no more war, no more suffering... I want... to restore balance." Tails says, quoting his feelings, even though he's not entirely sure of what he's saying.

"Balance, that ever fleeting concept..." She says before kneeling down next to him. "It's true that things in our world are unbalanced, but who's to say what true balance looks like. Light does not shine without the darkness for it to illuminate."

"Huh, who are you anyway?" He questions her.

"Who I am is not important, let's just say I'm someone who's been watching over you for a very long time." She says before standing up again.

"But, what do you mean by ascension? What am I ascending from, more importantly, what am I supposed to ascend to?" He questions her again.

"Only you can answer those questions." She says before adding. "I'm sorry dear, but I must go... you will see me again." The single-tailed kitsune says to him. "Remember what you are fighting for and most importantly, never give up."

She says before beginning to fade away. "Oh, and say hi to Amadeus for me." She adds as one more thing before vanishing out of sight.

"Huh? You mean my dad, how do you know..." He says before realizing he was speaking to thin air.

Tails looks down and sighs. "I will find a way for our world to know peace. We were so close before, then this happened. If only... there were a way..."


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 7**

The secret service skunk paces about in the barracks of the Acorn Palace, going back and forth and mumbling to himself.

"This is bull!" He complains aloud. "There's a crime syndicate running about the land and here we are, sitting around and twiddling our fingers, waiting for _his majesty_ to give us an order. How much longer does that fool think we should wait? Furthermore, why does he think that two of his friends is all it will take to bring them down. For all we know, they could be dead by now!"

"You're right, we should do something." Hershey, a black and white female cat adds. "But if we move without an order we could end up with a charge of treason."

Geoffrey shakes his head. "I don't care anymore, I've served this damned country for years before that damned hedgehog even came into the picture." He states before flopping down into a chair, looking down at an otherwise empty table.

.oO(I still can't believe that the princess married _him_. What a joke...) He thinks to himself.

"Well then, what shall we do, Geoff?" She asks him.

"I... don't know." He states with a sigh.

A quiet moment passes before the skunk gets up and walks toward the door.

"Where are you going?" The cat asks him as he moves to leave the room.

"Outside to do some thinking." He explains before leaving the room with a slam of the door.

The irritated skunk heads out into the courtyard, looking around to see if anybody else is present before falling down to his knees in the grass.

"I have served my country faithfully, haven't I? Why do I get the feeling I'm going to be replaced?" He asks out to no one to no one before pounding his fists down into the thick grass.

"Damn it! Those brats get all action while I just sit here and fester! Ever since Robotnik did his coup, it's always been **Sonic** to the rescue and now that the imbecile has taken the throne even he has chosen to do nothing about Mogul or his cohorts... and to make things worse, there are threats looming out there that not even we could face now." Geoffrey continues to go on to nobody in particular with tears forming in his eyes.

"What am I to do now?" He asks a final time to no one, not realizing that the old kitsune was around and had heard everything.

"Perhaps you should give up... or perhaps you should grow stronger and live for a better day." The elder says to him.

"What!?" Geoffrey says shocked that someone was actually around him after all this time. "Wh-what are you talking about... I was just..."

"Your grief is understandable, my friend. The standards have risen and now you feel useless because you are 'just' a Mobian." He states with a tone of concern in his voice.

"Wait, how in the world could you know that?" He states, taking on a serious tone once again.

"I know your thoughts because I can read them." He explains before quickly continuing on. "There's one thing that you do not seem to know... about yourself."

"Okay, stop with the riddles, what are you talking about?" The skunk demands.

"You feel that you're _just a Mobian_ , correct? Let me explain something about your kind. You see, back in the days of the extinction of the overlanders, as you referred to them there were kitsune who felt so deeply for the loss of a fellow sentient creature that they sought to create a new one in its place." The old man explains as he walks a bit closer to the skunk.

"Just what does that have to do with us?" Geoffrey brushes off the statement.

"They **are** your kind. You see, in the final days of the great apocalypse there were virtually no overlanders left, so in order to maintain the status-quo in your dimension, we had to use the numerous creatures that there were left by the horrific war. The animals..." The elder continues his explanation. "That's how Mobian-kind was born, for you see, in every one of your kind flows kitsune blood. Our genetics were merged with your own in order to create a new sentient being, and not just one type was created, there were many... two or more of nearly all species of life that remained on your planet." The elder states before stopping a few feet from Geoffrey.

"That's nonsense, you're insisting that there's something great in our origin, yet we've been nearly powerless to stop threats before." The skunk retorts quickly.

"You _feel_ powerless because you haven't truly needed your power before, despite the horrors of your own great war, you managed to find a way to get through it all without any kind of divine intervention." The gray many-tailed creature adds.

"Listen, If I had that kind of power **I'd** certainly know about it." The skunk replies, still skeptical of what he's being told.

"Think of it this way, you've often wondered how your Sonic got his amazing speed capabilities, correct? He simply tapped into his kitsune potential young in his life and was given this amazing gift. Your kind all have such gifts, you just have yet to learn how to tap into them." Genra gives as an example.

"So... if I can do amazing things too... then how can I learn?" He questions, not genuinely curious as to what the kitsune claims.

"The key... is a need. You must believe that the change can happen, want the change to happen and then also **need** the change in some important way. You, in particular, have both the want and the need, now you must simply believe." He says.

"So I just have to believe that I can become more powerful?" Geoffrey asks as he then tries to focus on believing what he is being told.

"Yes, keep that thought in your mind and relive the desperation your situation causes you. You will become more powerful because you _must_ become more powerful." The kitsune explains further.

Geoffrey begins to remind himself once again of the frustration of feeling unneeded, his jealousy of Sonic and every little thing that bothers him about the state of the country right now. He cringes a bit as he tries to bring it out before suddenly coming back to.

"I... what was that?" He mumbles aloud having just felt something deep in his body.

"You felt it, didn't you? Keep trying and you will be able to bring it to the surface whenever you need it. The rest is up to you now..." The elder states before turning to walk away.

"Wait, I need help... how will I even know when I've managed to summon this power?" Geoffrey asks in a bit of anxious tone.

"You will know, true me. You will feel connected to everything, the trees, the grass you stand upon, your fellow Mobians, even the universe itself. We are all simply made of stardust after all." The kitsune adds before fading away.

"Ridiculous... or is it?" The skunk questions before trying once again, trying once again with all his heart to pull out whatever may be hidden within him. He clenches his teeth and tries focus on everything that kitsune had just told him. It seems like he's getting nowhere before suddenly something catches his attention. A feeling from deep within him explodes out and he suddenly feels a wave of warmth, love, and peace he had not felt for many years all at once.

It was then that the skunk began to relax, reveling in the feeling that now consumed him. He then opened his eyes and is in shock of what he sees. Around his body is a dark pinkish aura and he's literally hovering about an inch off of the ground.

He is then brought back to the moment by what he had just witnessed about himself and feels his feet firmly planting back upon the ground.

"This feeling... it's every bit as beautiful as what he described and I could feel an amazing power within. I felt like I could crush a boulder with my bare hands." He then suddenly bursts out in laughter.

"It's real! Oh yes, Geoffrey St. John is back in business!" He calls out, once again to no one in particular before turning and running back into the building again, this time with a big grin on his face.

Back in the alternate dimension, the four hybrids are relaxing at an outdoor cafe, having just finished a sizable dinner that was gifted to them by a thankful shop owner for help on the clean-up, which is still underway.

"Man, that hit the spot," Duke said before leaning back and giving a big belch.

"Excuse you, mister," Leena comments in disgust.

"Whatever... my name's Duke, by the way." The red-footed ferret replies.

"I'm starting to think our friend doesn't get along with _any_ women." Darrien, the rat swordsman adds to the conversation.

"What? I'll have you know back in my homelands the chicks are all over me!" Duke retorts angrily.

The response just causes Leena to shake her head while Darrien stifles a chuckle with a paw.

"Man, what do you guys know anyway?" The ferret brushes off playfully. "Hey, mister quiet over there... care to share what's on your mind?" He then nudges Tails, who has been silent for quite some time.

"Oh, not much, really... I just feel like there's something else we should be doing right now." The fox replies.

"We could always try to find where the Draconians are hiding." Darrien throws out as an idea.

"Yeah, but we can't exactly follow the ships out into space. _Pretty sure_ our powers don't give us the ability to survive in an airless vacuum." Duke replies.

"He's right if only there was some way to find a vessel that could get us into outer space." Tails states thoughtfully.

"These kitsune, they are an advanced race, correct? Certainly, they have something that could get us into space." The rat swordsman states.

"Hmm, you're right... I bet they do have some kind of space technology." Tails replies with a nod.

"If you Mobians are looking to get out into space, the only way is through the starport, but the use of it is heavily regulated by the council." One kitsune from a nearby table explains to them.

"Huh, somehow I don't think the council is in much of a position to regulate anything," Duke says, looking off in the direction where the tower used to be.

Leena, Tails, Darrien and Duke all look to each other before Tails speaks out.

"Let's go then." The twin-tail states.

It's just then that a powerful aura is sensed closing in on them, causing the hybrids to look up in a bit of a shock as a nine-tailed kitsune comes down from the sky and lands just a few feet from their table. This causes Leena to grab the hilt of her sword and the rest to get a bit tense.

"Is it him?" Darrien questions before receiving the answer.

"No, I am not Zachariah, but I am of the council... I can aid you in what you're looking to do. Normally I would never help a lesser creature, but to see such bravery in trying to intervene in our crisis is commendable. My name is Teshir." The many-tailed creature states.

Duke then suddenly stands up. "Who the hell are you calling a _lesser creature_!?"

Tails then reaches over to the ferret. "Take it easy, Duke, they're not used to having half-breeds around."

"Still, they're supposed to be the more evolved species and yet they still use labels like that. They don't seem so great to me..." Duke says back to Tails.

"I apologize for my rudeness, it's just the concept of a Mobian interbred with our kind is offensive to some. It's an old-standing myth that only the pure breeds can be truly competent." The older kitsune explains.

"Myth indeed," Leena adds simply.

"I digress, follow me and I shall take you to outer space. I will accompany you, just know that Zachariah is a formidable foe and that he's not the only one which you should be looking out for." The kitsune then recommends before taking off into the air, the hybrids then quickly powering up and taking off after him.

"This other foe that we're supposed to be looking out for... his name wouldn't start with Asell, would it?" Tails asks to the kitsune as he flies up closer to him.

"Asellus, he is the leader of the Draconian fleet in this solar system. His power is amazing, easily as great as the best amongst our kind." The nine-tail explains.

"Why has the council allowed these creatures to run amok? Draconians have even been seen in the Mobian dimension and I've also come to understand that they have been there since ancient times." Tails continues to question their new helper.

"The explanation is a long one, the simplest way to put it to words is that we have a clause of non-intervention. If an event does not directly concern us, we are not allowed to act." The kitsune replies.

"Including in cases where an entire sentient race is eliminated?" Tails adds, referring to the overlanders.

"Sadly, yes," Teshir states with a sigh.

"Why? Why would you let something so unfair dictate your people?" Tails asks in a bit of frustration.

"The law was certainly not my idea. It goes back to the time when our people first landed here on Mobius. It's been widely accepted ever since, believing that we should let natural selection do it's job without interference. To my understanding, it was a law adopted from our home-world."

"So, kitsune are not native to this planet at all. That must have influenced your decision as well. At least one of your kind felt different because we exist." Tails states, looking down at the ground as they fly along.

"A history lesson for another day, perhaps." He says, landing down upon what looks like a landing pad of sorts. He waves the others in and they land down next to him.

"Wait here, I will have them bring a ship up for you." The kitsune says before stepping onto another smaller side platform that seems to simply zap him away.

"What were you and nothing-but-tails talking about earlier?" Duke asks Tails.

"Basically asking him why we are fighting their battle for them." Tails states.

"...and his reply?" The ferret inquires on.

"Essentially if it doesn't involve them, they're not allowed to." The twin-tail replies.

"Uh, their main building just got pulverized. That's about as 'involving them' as it gets." The ferret adds with a smirk.

"That's why he's helping us now." The leopardess, Leena, throws in with a simple observation.

As the hybrids wait for their space ship to arrive, in another part of the kitsune dimension is an odd gathering. The seemingly random female kitsune who was previously seen wearing a bright kimono in the park is meeting up with a shadowy figure.

"Rosemary..." The voice in the darkness says.

"Yes, it is I." The female replies.

"Are things proceeding as planned with your young one?" The masculine hidden voice asks.

"Yes, he is maturing nicely. He still has doubt in his heart but once it is gone, he will be ready." She adds, single tail swaying behind her.

"Excellent..." The hidden male replies.

"He is the one, I'm certain of it. He will become a deity and when he does he will soar amongst the class 10 kitsune." She replies, her single tail suddenly 'unfolding' itself to reveal nine of them.

"Do you still intend on making the... sacrifice?"

"Yes, it may be necessary to awaken his latent powers. I... I haven't been around my boy in so long. Maybe even in a suspended state, I can still aid him. It's time the boy knew of his mother's love." She replies, her eyes looking a bit misty as she speaks.

"Very well... I leave the rest up to you." The masculine voice says before fading.

Meanwhile back in the Mobian dimension, Geoffrey and Hershey are driving amidst the dense forest in one of the secret service utility vans, looking for the famed hideout of Mammoth Mogul.

"The readouts indicate that it's up here somewhere." Geoffrey states, eyeing the gauges as he reads along.

"Let us hope the intel is right or we could be in a major goose chase," Hershey says in reply.

Suddenly the van stops and he motions her out. "We'll go the rest of the way on foot so we don't make too much noise."

"Good idea, Geoff." She replies before following him in tow.

The two hunker down, moving slowly through the foliage before finding their way to their destination, the base where Mammoth Mogul is said to have a hideaway. They slowly approach its grounds, finding a sizable clearing and in the distance, they see where the something indeed once way, but it's in utter ruins.

"What in the... what happened here?" Geoffrey mutters in surprise.

The building and several large trees around it lie in numerous bits scattered about the clearing.

"This place looks like a war zone." Hershey comments.

"I don't see anyone around, let's investigate." The skunk then replies before taking a step into the clearing. Giving another careful glance around before motioning to the feline behind him.

The two then walk up closer to the devastation.

"It's like someone just blew up the place." Hershey states in disbelief.

"This was no bomb... whatever hit this place was more intense than any bomb I've ever seen."

.oO(Could this be the work of one of those strange foxes?) He ponders to himself.

They then make their way inside of the ruined building and looks around a bit bewildered.

"There are no bodies... was this place abandoned?" The female cat calls out to her partner.

"I don't think so," Geoffrey replies before they both hear a noise come from upstairs.

They both look at each other and nod before carefully traversing a broken staircase and making their way up to the room where they thought they heard the noise. As the enter the doorway, they see a bloody mess with only a lone vixen standing with her back to them, Fiona.

"It's you!" Geoffrey calls out as he recognizes his former captor.

"You're too late, I've already taken care of the problem," Fiona speaks to them without looking back.

"Oh my gosh, what have you done?" Hershey calls out.

"It's obvious something horrible happened here, but where are the bodies?" Geoffrey asks the vixen.

"They're gone." She replies, turning around to face them with her hands behind her back.

"No kidding, but what have you done with them!?" Geoffrey asks growing impatient.

"What do you mean? They've been _vaporized_. I gave them a fitting death." Fiona explains with a shrug.

"Damn you, that's not how we do things in the Acorn Kingdom, you can't just go around killing people even if they are murders!" Geoffrey shouts before pointing to the vixen. "You're coming with us to be held for trial!"

"I don't think so." She replies simply.

"What? You don't have a choice!" He says before aiming his crossbow glove in her direction, causing Hershey to also pull out a gun.

"Tsk, so naive... you actually think you have what it takes to impress your idiotic laws on me," Fiona says with a shrug.

"You're not above the law, put your hands up and get on the ground!" Hershey calls out angrily.

It's then that Fiona's aura begins to show, being surrounded by the expected rippling darkness.

"Go ahead and shoot, I dare you." Fiona taunts them. "You'll find out quickly what happened to the rest of them."

Geoffrey reaches over and puts a hand against Hershey, trying to hold her back unsuccessfully. The feline pushes the hand away and steps forward, taking a few shots at the vixen. The bullet bounces off of her aura, leaving her uninjured and the vixen begins to laugh.

"Your toys are no use against me." She states mockingly.

Hershey then drops her weapon and charges in against the hybrid directly causing Geoffrey to call out to her, but the warning is unheeded. She fights her head on with skilled punches, all of which are blocked with a single hand.

"You're such a typical girl, I don't even need my powers to beat someone weak like you." She says as she arrogantly lets her aura fade back down, still dodging and blocking all of the attacks except for one that finally lands, scraping sharply against the vixen's cheek with the feline's sharp claws.

The vixen recoils a little bit before reaching up and feeling the trickle of blood that leaks from her now scored cheek.

"Haha, using your claws now? Two can play at that game... you may be a cat, but I wager mine are still sharper." She says before re-positioning her bloodied hand, her claws beginning to seethe with the black energy.

Geoffrey realizes what's about to happen and calls out to Hershey once again.

"Hershey, stop!" He says, trying to reach out to her.

The feline then lashes out once again with claws, this time, her blow is quickly stopped and the vixen retorts, lashing out her own down the front of Hershey in one quick motion. This causes the feline to cry out in pain and collapse onto the floor, her arms crossed tightly over her front side as she begins to bleed heavily from the scratches delivered all the way from her stomach to the top of her chest.

"'Told ya." The vixen replies with a smirk.

"Hershey!" Geoffrey calls out as he runs over to her with a concerned expression.

"I... didn't even see what happened..." She says amidst a hiss of piercing pain.

"Stay down, I'll get help." He says to her as the vixen just stands silently.

"So very brittle, I didn't even have to press in much," Fiona calls out mockingly.

The skunk stands back up definitely.

"That's it... you're coming with me even if have to drag you by the tail!" The skunk calls out angrily.

The vixen just shakes her head, shrugging with an indifferent expression.

"And just how do you intend to manage this?" She replies with her own much calmer tone.

"Like this!" Geoffrey retorts before tensing up, his rich pinkish aura surrounding him just like before.

Fiona's jaw drops as she sees what should be a regular Mobian beginning to resonate with kitsune energy.

"How is he doing that?" She mumbles to herself before flaring up her own aura once again.

"What's the matter, are you surprised that someone like me can be like you too?" Geoffrey calls out to her.

"Fine, but you're nowhere near my level, so don't get cocky!" The vixen exclaims.

"We'll see about that," Geoffrey says before launching out in a fast blow to her stomach, grinding his fist in and causing Fiona to cough up and feel her breath leave her.

"I don't particularly like striking gals, but I'll make an exception for one as vulgar as you." The skunk explains as the hybrid staggers back, cradling her stomach.

.oO(His power's really dense, he really might be able to beat me if I don't do something quick) She ponders to herself.

It's then that she puts her palms together and draws them out, drawing out her dark-bladed sword once again. She then swipes it at the skunk in a threatening motion.

"I'm not about to be outdone by some two-bit Mobian." She calls out before making a real attack with the blade, swinging it trying to get him down the middle just like she had done with Hershey, but this time for good. The skunk jumps in and catches her hands before she can swing down, fighting against her strength with his own. The two struggling for dominance before the skunk delivers a heavy blow to her stomach once again, this time with his foot. The blow knocks her back several feet and causes her to lose her grip on the blade, it falling harmlessly to the floor.

She cringes and flips over onto her belly, reaching for her blade once again just to find his foot standing on her hand.

"No, you don't." He says down to her simply.

"You're going to the gulag, I'll make sure they have a special cell ready for you so you can forget about escaping."

The fox cringes and seems to just give in, lying down complacently on the floor.

"Glad you see it my way." He says before whipping out some rope, bringing the hand back to her back. It's then he realizes he has no idea where her other hand is. He soon finds the answer much to his shock as it appears before him in some kind of dark portal, reaching out and grabbing his throat.

"What...the..." He says amidst grunts, trying to breathe and kicks at her body in frustration. This causes her to roll and frees her other hand which now forms a dark ball of energy in her palm.

"I don't think so!" a voice calls out as a gunshot is heard, piercing the forearm of the assailing hand as it stands out, unprotected from the void. Fiona calls out in pain and pulls out her arm from the void and rolls over, cringing as she holds her hand. The cat sits up, her gun back in her hand, panting as she slowly starts to regain control of her pain.

"Damn it, bitch!" She calls out in anger and frustration, eyes closed as she endures the new pain. She finally looks up once again, this time seeing the skunk with the black-bladed sword pointed directly at her throat.

"Enough's enough, come quietly or I'll end you now!" Geoffrey calls out defiantly.

The room goes quiet aside from pants of exhaustion as the skunk holds firm. A moment passes before the spiraling energy previously formed is hurled from her previous hand regardless of the situation, traveling the short distance up into Geoffrey's face, the resulting explosion causing him to get blown back, landing away from both with a harsh thud, his aura fading.

"Dumb-asses, how many times must I tell you. You're not even close to being in my league!" She spits out, trying to get up before ultimately finding the gun of the feline placed directly against her head.

"Let's see you block it from this range." She says defiantly, her front coated in blood but still standing. The vixen clenches her teeth, knowing now that she's defeated for sure, without the density of the energies in her aura to block it, there was no chance she'd survive the shot.

"Okay... I give up..." She says softly before going limp on the floor.

"So eager to spill blood, but not willing to sacrifice your own life." Hershey calls out mockingly to the vixen as she puts her knees firmly against the others back and begins to tie up her hands.

"Not for someone like you." She retorts simply.

Geoffrey wakes up and rubs his hot and aching face from where the blast struck him and groans as he sits up. He opens his eyes again, blinking the blur from them before he sees Hershey atop the still downed vixen.

"Hershey, you did it." He calls out in a bit of amazement.

"Thanks to you, I got the opening I needed." The feline explains with the gun still firmly pressed against the vixen's head.

The two regain their composure and force Fiona out into the opening, her aura having subsided complacently as she tries to figure out a way this predicament. She remains calm despite the situation and goes along with the other two, for now.

They bring her to the van and push her into the back with Hershey staying directly with her, gun still pressed against the others temple to keep her from making any brash escapes. The three then drive back off, heading off to Devil's Gulag where Fiona can hopefully be contained until justice can be served.

The vixen knows very well that she's still far from truly being beaten because she's still alive. Plus, with the man that controlled her for so long being out of the picture, she can finally relax. Perhaps destiny has more in store for her yet.


	8. Side Story 1 - Part 1

This story is dedicated to the Dark Tails concept from The Sonic Return. Side stories are canonical but the order they occur in regard to the main story is debatable. Enjoy.

 **Side Story #1**

In another time line something terrible is happening. The palace of Acorn is under attack and a line of partial, bloodied bodies of guards coat the entire entryway. The only ones left standing are King Sonic and Queen Sally. Standing near to the throne is none other than Tails, a wicked expression on his face and blood splattered on his hands and various places upon his body.

"Tails, what is the meaning of this!?" Sonic cries out to the murderous fox.

"Just having some fun, like old times." The twin-tailed fox replies.

"Fun? You call _this_ fun!?" Sally exclaims.

"I know, I know, you're just sore that your time at the top of the chain is coming to an abrupt end. Maybe, **just maybe** , you shouldn't have expected me to be your lackey all these years? Did it ever cross your mind that maybe it was I that was meant for greatness!?" Tails replies.

"Tails, I thought you were happy being my sidekick all these years. What happened to all the times you looked up to me as your big brother?" Sonic adds quickly.

"A mere formality, now you are simply in the way and now I will get rid of you like the wretch you really are. You actually thought I could be _happy_ as your third wheel, disgusting!" He spits out with great spite.

"Tails, no, please! These people did nothing to deserve your wrath and now you threaten Sonic himself?" Sally calls out, stepping forward. "What's wrong with you!?"

"Foolish woman, this doesn't concern you, sit back down before I drop you." The disgruntled Tails calls out to Sally, as if he didn't even know who she was.

"That's no way to talk to Sally, Tails! Apologize or I will make you apologize," Sonic says, jumping between both of them.

" _You... make me_ _apologize_? You really don't know what creek you are in, do you? While you sit on your quilled ass growing fatter, I've been working my ass of to become the true ultimate life form and you're so caught up in old times thinking you're actually bad ass enough to take me on." Tails says with a dark chuckle. "Moron, wake up and smell the ashes... I'm correcting the great mistake that is 'Sonic the Hedgehog'." He says before lifting an open paw in his direction, a ball of oddly tainted red and black energy forming in his hand.

"Tails, stop this nonsense now! Do you even know what you're doing? You're supposed to be a genius and yet you think this is the right thing to do? I can understand you being jealous of Sonic, but not like this. He's your king, you have no right to just walk in here and show such utter disrespect to him!" The queen chipmunk calls out to him angrily.

Tails scoffs and instead, turns to point the energy at Sally Acorn.

"You wouldn't!?" Sonic calls out startled.

"You've done enough gabbing, now piss off!" Tails says as he launches the ball of energy directly at Sally. Sonic sees this and uses his sonic speed to dive in the way of the blast. A small explosion ensues and Sonic falls to his knees in pain.

"Sonic!" Sally cries out running up to him.

"That's right, get in the way, I'll make it two for one! Once I'm done with both of you, I'm going to go to every single time line that we exist in and erase any trace that you ever existed, as well as any weak copies of myself that ever bothered to kiss this asshole's blistered feet."

The disgruntled Tails then powers up another, much bigger ball of energy as his body swirls with a negative energy. Sonic then looks up with hurtful eyes, a bit of tears welling up in them.

"Why... would you do this? I love you little bro. I never wanted to hurt you..." He says, choked up.

The causes Tails to flinch. "Love me... you say." He looks a bit put off before suddenly bursting out in evil laughter. "Love, that's a good one, ha ha ha ha! There is no love in this world you fool, the only thing that matters is power!" He says before ultimately firing the large blast in their direction. Sonic pushes Sally back behind him and he grabs the blast, it's burning fury blistering his hands and front of his body with it's strange effect as he struggles to contain it.

Tails sees the struggle and begins to charge up smaller blasts against the larger one to help grind it in. The ensuing quandary causes Sonic to get desperate and in a sudden surge of heroics flashes into super form, as if he had the chaos emeralds... perhaps a residual effect of it brought on by his desperation.

"Too little, too late... your power isn't great enough to save you now!"

Using the distraction caused by Sonic struggling to contain the blast, Tails ceases firing only to focus on himself and tense up, suddenly bursting with power himself as he flares into his an altered form, one never seen before, hovering off of the ground with all red fur, arcing violently with a black power.

Sonic finally manages to deflect the blast, hurling off through the roof in the palace, creating a gaping whole where it is viewed blasting off up in the atmosphere, only to leave a much more terrifying visage hovering before them.

Glowing red eyes with narrow cat-like pupils glare to them with a wicked grin, his darker red body capped by a third tail which sways about confidently with the rest behind him.

"Yes, look upon me... the instrument of your death. I am not a god, but a **god slayer**. You should take pride in dying by my hands." The reddened Tails calls out before zipping behind Sonic so fast he couldn't even see him move, leaning back against his glowing, quilled back in a mocking fashion with an open palm facing in his direction. Sonic then looks back behind him with a shocked gaze just in time to be caught in another huge blast from his assailant's hand, this time the force is so great that it surges through the hedgehog and blows out the front of of the palace, his body being fiercely ripped apart by the violent energy as he gives his last breath, all of this despite his empowered form.

"Sonic!" Sally cries out as she witnesses his demise, running up to Tails and frantically trying to punch and kick at him. "I'll never forgive you for this!" She shouts out to him as she tries desperately to bring him down, but all in vain for each blow doesn't even land, blocked by the fox's incredibly dense aura.

One of Tails' hands is blackened by the power and forming a sort of blade as he makes a quick swipe across Sally's throat. A stunned look coming over her face as her head falls away from her body, both parts bloodily falling to the floor. Tails then floats away from the bloody mess, admiring his own handy work.

"Heh heh heh, excellent, now my greatest plan can unfold. Absolutely no unworthy beings will ever tread Mobius again, in _any time line._ " He says before breaking into laughter again and flying off through the hole in the ceiling of the throne room. He flies straight up to a considerable height among the clouds where he can see the whole of Mobotropolis down below him. He then puts his hands together and charges up an intense power. He begins to chant and draws various runes in the sky with his finger tips. The entire area around the city begins to ripple with some strange vibration.

"In the end, all of the unworthy shall fall to my hands!" The dark Tails exclaims as he raises his hands open to the sky as the land beneath the city literally begins to break in large pieces, bringing about incredible devastation and the dying screams of masses as the broken city seems to be engulfed in a massive resulting pool of boiling blood.

The demented fox can only laugh as the whole process unfolds as the explosion releases a shock wave that will cause devastation for miles.

Ultimately, the only thing left of the bustling Mobian city is a giant impact crater and an enormous cloud of risen dust.

"Now to go to my lab and begin my eternal justice. I just know there's other time lines out there ripe for the picking... and I have just the one in mind." He says before flying off into the distance.

The evil Tails then flies to his laboratory where various machinery is found, he goes to one particularly large piece of equipment and presses some buttons causing it to whir to life. An image of another Mobius appears on the screen.

"If my calculations are right, this one is where a powerful copy of myself exists. I look forward to a real challenge, all the more wonderful it will be to break him and his precious friends. The chumps in this time line weren't even a proper challenge." He says with a cackle.

A large teleporter type device comes to life and the dark version of Tails steps into it as he's encompassed by a bright bluish light. A loud roar comes next as he is dematerialized from that dimension, only to reappear in the current 'New Mobius'. He carries with him a small scanner that he holds up, now in an unoccupied clearing in the Great Forest. He turns as the devices powers on and makes some beeping sounds.

"What is this fuckery?" He calls out a bit concerned as not one but several higher-tiered powers show up on his scanner.

"So, this time line has more than one target..." He says before licking his lips. "How delightful... I'll just be sure to engage them one on one and they'll be no problem. But first..." He looks over in the direction of Mobotropolis. "It's time to pay the Acorns here a small visit." He adds with a wicked grin before powering up his dark aura and shooting off toward his target.

Meanwhile, the normal Tails was working on a new project in his current lab with Fiona sitting down in a side room, legs crossed in an Indian-style sitting as she relaxes, letting her mind wander. A capsule about a foot in width and several feet in length was laying up on the desk. Next to the desk was a large sword with a crystalline blade.

"I'm almost finished, soon I will have a safe resting place for my gift." He says, looking over to the sword before something crosses his mind. He looks up with a startled expression.

"That's odd, I suddenly feel fearful... but of what." He says to himself before looking down at the sword closer. In the glistening blade he begins to make out what looks like a copy of himself, cloaked in a darker, evil aura.

"What is this?" He questions aloud, the talking finally catching Fiona's attention who cracks open a single eyes.

"What are you babbling about?" She asks him from the other room.

"Fiona, come look at this!" He calls out to her, who begrudgingly stands up and walks over into the room, her hands on her hips as she sees him bowed down, looking at the blade.

"Alright, what is it?" She inquires, a bit annoyed at the disturbance.

"There's something going on, it seems like _she's_ trying to tell me something." Tails replies, motioning her to come over. The two then look at the blade as the Dark Tails is shown making a wreck of the Great Forest as he flies along before the scenery changes, this time to Acorn Palace.

"It looks like you, but there's no way that could be you, since you're right here." Fiona says before Tails adds.

"Yeah, and looks like he's heading to the palace... I have a bad feeling about this, we'd better investigate." He tells her, standing up. She nods to him and grins a bit, tugging somewhat at her black glove.

"Finally, a chance to get some action... I'm about bored to death." The vixen states before running out of the door, Tails soon following. The pair powers up and shoots off in the direction of Mobotropolis.

Meanwhile, the evil Tails was closing in on the city.

"I can hardly wait, I'm gonna martyr them all, just like I did before." He says with a dark grin.

He flies along for several minutes before the small scanner he brought begins to beep again. He looks down to it and sees a single power source closing in on him very quickly.

"What's this?" He calls out before coming to a complete stop, hovering in mid air just outside of the city limits. The source suddenly appears, flying in from the opposite direction.

The two lock gazes for a moment, it seems that Itan, the lightning hybrid has found the evil Tails before the others. The half-robotic lizard sparks with his energy as he looks to the other with suspicion.

"Who are you?" The lizard demands.

"What, it's just me, Tails. Don't you remember?" He tries to fake out the hybrid.

"I'm aware of who you look like, but who are you really?" Itan calls out, pointing in the other.

"Don't be ridiculous, it's your friend... eh, what was your name again?" He continues on before being unable to help but break into a grin.

"Tails would not forget one of his own... not to mention, Tails only carries two tails." He says, noticing the third tail swaying behind him. The lizard hybrid powers up, his electrical aura arcing violently around him.

"I'm giving you to the count of three to turn away and get lost before I bring you to justice." The hybrid calls out to him.

"Justice... what would you know of justice?" He calls out before powering up himself, surrounded by his darkened aura. Encompassed heavily in outer black and a dark red core.

Itan takes the initiative and strikes first, firing at the dark one with his lightning energy which strikes him with mighty flickers and crackles. The false Tails pretends to be electrocuted before regaining his composure unexpectedly.

"Is that all?" He says with a chuckle, causing Itan to flare up and strike at him even stronger but it just wasn't able to pierce the evil one's aura. This causes the triple-tailed fox to laugh at him.

"Damn, to think I got my hopes up. I saw this appearing on my radar and thought _hey, maybe this one's worth my time_. Now this... pathetic..." He says before dashing in, bridging the gap in the blink of an eyes and striking the lizard directly in the face. A splatter of blood issuing as the lizard grabs his stricken face just to feel another mighty blow delivered to his side by the fox's tails. He goes flying down to the land below, impacting with a mighty crash into the countryside.

The evil one then seizes the moment and charges up a sizable blast in an out-stretched hand before firing it down at the crashed hybrid. The dark ball spiraling as it crashes down into the lizard. He sees it coming and braces for impact just to get blown away, his body skidding across the ground harshly. He tries to get back up, but he's already very drained from the assault, unable to even sit up.

"No..." He says weakly before loud cackling ensues from the triple-tail, the lizard falling down defeated by his adversary.

"Enough distractions, now onward to my prize." He says before flying off, leaving the distressed lizard's life hanging in the balance from his wounds.

"Bah, this is going to be a piece of cake, if they're all at this powerless I could practically take them all on at once." He muses as he flies along, the tower of the palace coming into sight as he enters the city, flying toward it's center and landing on the highest tower.

The impostor looks down from the height of the tower, admiring the view for a moment before putting all of his energy to his right foot and bringing it down upon the tower with a smash. The tower collapses, the sudden noise causing the Mobians inside to run out.

"What in the world is going on?" One of them calls out.

"I don't know, I just heard a loud crash and came running." Another says.

"Hey, look up there!" Yet another Mobian calls out and points up at the floating black and red clad fox before he suddenly charges down, hovering just over the gathered group.

"I'll be sure to savor it this time... no need to hurry." He says to himself before landing down in front of them.

"Hey, is that Tails?" A servant mouse calls out as the adversary lands before them.

"I don't think so and I don't like the look of 'em either." One other replies before the triple-tailed holds up a hand in their direction with a flat palm, indicative of an attack.

"Disappear..." Dark Tails says before forming a black energy ball in the palm but right as he's about to release it he hears something approaching from the side and is rammed in the side by a flying rocket-powered mechanical arm. He is knocked back several feet to the side and grunts as he gets back up to his feet, brushing some dirt off of him.

"What the..." He says before looking over and seeing the previous half-mechanical lizard as the robotic arm flies back and reattaches with with ease.

"You again, I thought you were finished!" He calls out as he spies the other.

"I'm… not about to lay idle and let you do as you please!" The lizard hybrid calls out, still hunched over and feeling weak from his previous defeat.

"Fine, I'll just destroy you then." The dark one retorts as he charges up and makes a blinding dash toward the other, closing in for a final attack before something else knocks him out of the way, this time getting blasted away nearly a 100 feet and crashing into the palace wall.

"Ugh, now what..." The fox mumbles as he frees himself from the rubble caused by his impact.

"Look, it's king Sonic!" Several among the crowd say along with the quiet rumble of chatter. As the hedgehog looks triumphantly from the attack.

"I don't know who you are, but I'm not about to allow you to make a mess of things here!" The hedgehog calls out.

"He was able to do that in his regular form?" Dark Tails asks himself as he fully stands up again.

"Good… and here I was thinking that this was going to be boring." He says with a dark chuckle as he he charges up once again and makes a sonic dash toward the hedgehog. Sonic spins up and meets his charge head on but is instantly overpowered getting knocked back even further, managing to come to a screeching halt right before smashing into a nearby house.

"Woah, his strength is major… I can't take any chances." He says before standing up and making an attempt to dash his way back inside the palace which is inevitably blocked by the evil one.

"I don't know where you think you're going, but there's no escaping me." He says to him as he skids to a halt once again. At this point a bolt of lightning hits the black and red aura covered fox with a loud clash. This causes him to cringe but nothing more before looking to the sight of the attack, the electrically covered lizard making another stand.

This causes Dark Tails to use his real speed, flashing around behind the lizard, delivering a hard blow to the back of his head.

"Fool, just die already!" The three-tail calls out in frustration.

Itan cries out in pain before falling unconscious to the ground from the blow. This causes him to lose his focus on Sonic, giving him a dash into the palace and find what he was looking for. Dark Tails catches onto it and flies in after him.

Standing in the throne room, Sonic opens a secret compartment on his throne and inside lies the deep power stones. He quickly takes them and puts them together, holding both sides as the power starts to take a hold of him. His body begins to hover in the air as a faint aura surrounds him.

"Good thing we kept these..." He says aloud before getting broad-sided by a blast of Dark Tails' power. The smoke clears and Sonic reappears unharmed.

"What?" The fox calls out confused by this, having not seen anything like this in his timeline. He then cringes and calls out even more power, the encompassing aura becoming all the more thick.

"Yeah, pretty cool, huh? Say good night, fox." Sonic says before spinning back up in mid-air and dashing into the triple-tailed assailant. This causes a great clash of power, cracking several pillars in the throne room. The fox blown back out into the hall and the hedgehog follows directly after, hovering over him while he downed and gives a couple of harsh kicks to the fox's upper body as he tries to stand back up.

The fox then suddenly appears to lie down quietly as Sonic continues hovering above, wondering if that's really all there is when suddenly the fox makes a sign with his hand, lifting his pinky and index finger and striking into the hedgehog's chest suddenly with it.

"Blood Eagle Strike!" He calls out as the blow strikes the hedgehog in specific pressure points, causing him to real back and grab at his chest, unable to catch his breath.

"Idiot, do you actually believe those stones can possibly make you able to defeat someone like me?" He calls out as he jumps back up to his feet, the hedgehog still wheezing and trying to catch his breath.

"I'm beyond even the level of the seven chaos emeralds. There's nothing in Mobius that can stop me!" He cackles out before taking advantage of the disabled hedgehog with another firm punch that knocks him back over and into the throne room, skidding across the ground as he tries to breath, blood starting to leak from the stricken area on his face. The fox then gradually walks back up to him, clenching his fist to finish the job as he now leers over the other.

"Your very existence has caused me great pain… and now you will cease to exist in this timeline as well!" He calls out before pulling back for a big blow before suddenly feeling something grab around his throat, a red vulpine tail curling around his neck and holding him captive. The tail piercing through a black void just behind him as its owner walks into the room. Walking with another void just behind her with her tail hidden within it.

"You impostor, you dare come here and try to commit regicide without even telling anyone? I'll make sure you pay dearly. Nobody has that right, except for the real Tails… who would never be such a fool." Fiona calls out as she walks in with the true Tails flying in and landing back next to her.

"Sonic, are you okay!?" Tails calls out to his friend.

"Been better, old pal." He says, crawling back up to his feet and backing away from the three, finally able to catch his breath once again.

"Just take it easy, we can handle it from here." Tails adds before Dark Tails manages to break free from Fiona's tail, jumping way back away from them as he catches his breath.

"Fiona fox… it can't be, she reeks with kitsune power and she's nothing but a regular Mobian, a worthless example of one at that." He says between pants.

Fiona just crosses her arms beneath her breasts and closes her eyes. It was certainly not the first time she'd heard such slanderous words.

"Why you… who are you and what are you doing here?" Tails calls out the three-tail.

"Isn't it obvious who I am? I'm **you**." Dark Tails says to the other.

"Impossible, if I'm here then how could you be me?" Tails asks in confusion.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm from an alternate timeline… one where all the established kingdoms no longer exist and where the remaining freedom fighters are either dead or severely fragmented in their groups." The evil copy explains.

"Why, what happened to them?" The twin-tailed fox calls out to the other.

" **I** happened to them…" Dark Tails explains with a grin.

"Mobians are pathetic excuses for sentient beings, my so-called 'friends' left me behind to suffer alone confirming what I'd already known, that I was not like them; physically, spiritually, mentally… everything. They secretly feared me and would never notice me when I was around them. It was around then I learned of the kitsune, who as far as I am concerned, are my real friends. They told me all about Mobian history and taught me about how all the suffering I faced due to their inability to understand just what I am, it was then that I realized that they are nothing and should be treated as such. They were weak and I was strong, I finally no longer needed their approval and I killed as many as I could. Bunnie, Antoine, Rotor, Sally, Amy and our ridiculous excuse for a best friend, Sonic the Hedgehog. The body count must've been in the thousands and they all died like bitches."

Tails looks down, so this is what happens if he were to succumb to his inner darkness. One thing was for sure, he couldn't just let this version of himself have his way. There were times he felt incredibly alone but to take that out on everyone around him, just because he could, is as offensive of a thought as he could imagine. His cringes and he explodes out with his bright white aura.

"No way, I could never do something like that. Not all the darkness in the world could persuade me to commit mindless genocide, you just did them in like it was nothing and now you dare act like you're proud of it!?" Tails calls out to the other angrily.

"There's nothing to be upset about, I'm merely taking out the trash." The evil one says with a shrug.

"You, I will not allow you to kill anymore, especially not the ones I care about here! You are the true garbage and I will get rid of you here and now!" Tails says, taking steps forward, his boots smashing holes in the floor beneath him as he walks forward.

"Naturally someone like you wouldn't understand… you must be eliminated too, so bring it!" He says, giving a teasing wave of his hand.

 **To be continued**


End file.
